Extreme Legacy
by GateKeeperSyn
Summary: The twin daughters of Tommy Dreamer & Beulah team up with some of the other children of ECW superstars to bring the promotion back to life. What will happen when these very different wrestling legacies come together? Also featuring the children of Paul Heyman, Balls Mahoney, the Sandman, Joey Styles, Stevie Richards, Sabu, Axl Rotten, Bubba Ray, D-Von, & Spike Dudley, & Tazz.
1. Chapter 1

_**AUTHOR' NOTE:**_ _This first chapter is going to be long because all of the characters will have a point of view to introduce them. There are several characters in this fic, and just like with my_ Legacy in the Night _fic, I know it can be hard to keep them straight, so here's a list of the main characters and who their parents are!_

 _ **KIMBERLY "KIM" LAUGHLIN:**_ _Daughter of Tommy Dreamer (Tommy Laughlin) and Beulah McGillicutty (Trisa Hayes). One half of the Twinnovators of Violence. Brianna's twin sister. Ring Name: Kimmy Dreamer/Twinnovator K._

 _ **BRIANA "BRI" LAUGHLIN:**_ _Daughter of Tommy Dreamer and Beulah McGillicutty. The other half of the Twinnovators of Violence. Kimberly's twin sister. Ring Name: Bri Dreamer/Twinnovator B._

 _ **CHRISTOPHER "CHRIS" RECHNER:**_ _Son of Balls Mahoney (Jon Rechner). Ring Name: Jon Mahoney._

 _ **LUCAS "LUKE" FULLINGTON:**_ _Son of the Sandman (Jim Fullington). Ring Name: Little Sandy._

 _ **ABIGAIL "ABBY" BONSIGNORE:**_ _Daughter of Joey Styles (Joey Bonsignore). Ring Name: Abby Styles._

 _ **MARKELLA "MARKIE" EASTON:**_ _Daughter of Bubba Ray Dudley (Mark LoMonaco). Ring Name: Becky Rae Dudley._

 _ **CRAIG HUGHES:**_ _Son of D-Von Dudley (Devon Hughes). Ring Name: Hugh Dudley._

 _ **ARTHUR "ARTIE" HYSON:**_ _Son of Spike Dudley (Matthew Hyson.) Ring Name: Kidd Dudley._

 _ **TURNER KNIGHTON:**_ _Son of Axl Rotten (Brian Knighton).Ring Name: Mr. Knight._

 _ **CARRIE HEYMAN:**_ _Daughter of Paul Heyman. Ring Name: Carrie Heyman._

 _ **EVAN HEYMAN:**_ _Son of Paul Heyman. Ring Name: Evan Heyman._

 _ **AIDEN MANNA:**_ _Son of Stevie Richards (Michael Stephen Manna. ) Ring Name: Richie Richards._

 _ **PHIL BRUNK:**_ _Son of Sabu (Terry Brunk). Ring Name: Tabu._

 _ **FELICIA BRUNK:**_ _Daughter of Sabu. Ring Name: Leeshee Brunk._

 _ **VINCENT "VINNY" SENERCHIA:**_ _Son of Tazz (Peter Senerchia). Ring Name: Mania._

 **CHAPTER ONE: PROLOGUE**

 _ **KIMBERLY**_

The police station sure was busy that night. Kimberly Laughlin chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she waited for the inevitable arrival of her very pissed-off parents. Thankfully, she wasn't alone. Her twin sister Briana sat beside her in an equal amount of trouble.

"Why are boys such jerks?" Kim wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Briana replied. "Maybe when Jared wakes up, you can ask him."

"I can't believe he put his hands on me..."

" _I_ can. I _tried_ to warn you, K."

"He seemed so sweet."

"You trust too easily... But that's why you have _me._ "

Both twins fell silent as their father entered the precinct. "Talk," he said.

"Daddy, I can explain," Kim said desperately.

"Her boyfriend put his hands on her!" Briana chimed in.

Their father suddenly looked furious, but not at them. "Where is the little bastard?" He asked.

"He's sleeping... By _force_ ," Briana said cheerfully.

"Good girl." Her father kissed the top of her sister's head, then pulled Kim into a hug. "Are you okay, Kimmy?"

"Yeah... He hit me once. Bri and I got him at least twenty times," Kim replied.

"That's my girls!" He declared proudly.

"Tommy!" Her mother scolded as she walked in and caught the comment. "You can't encourage this kind of behavior."

"He _hit_ her, Trisa!" Her father replied quickly.

"Where is he? I'll kill him _myself!"_

It wasn't an idle threat. Her mother might be retired, but she could still throw down with anyone.

"Let me handle this," her father said. "I'll get you girls out of here."

An officer came toward them. "Mr. Laughlin, I-" He paused. "Holy crap! You're... _you!"_

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I am," her father said with a laugh.

"Tommy Dreamer! Wow, this is _nuts!"_ He paused, then turned to her mother and added, "And you're Beulah McGillicutty! Man, I _loved_ ECW growing up!"

"Sir, these girls you've detained are our daughters," her mother said. "I'd like to know the charges."

"Assault with a weapon... They beat the hell out of a boy... Sorry, Beulah, Ma'am."

"It's Trisa, actually. What weapon did they use?"

"The report says they used wooden sticks..."

"They're called _kendo_ sticks, actually," Briana piped up. "He hit my sister. What was I _supposed_ to do?"

"Briana, _not now,"_ her father said.

"It was self-defense," Kim said quietly.

"Officer, our girls have never done anything like this before," her father insisted. That was a lie, but no one corrected him. It had certainly never been so serious before. "He's a boy and he hit my daughter. She had every right to defend herself, and her sister believed her to be in danger and helped. That's all that happened here."

Her father sounded so practical, it was hard to argue. "Right... Of course," the officer said.

"He's awake," another officer said as he joined them. "He rambled about how they attacked him, but he did slip and admit he hit Kimberly Laughlin first."

"Well, I'm sure we can get him to drop the charges, then... But do _you_ want to press any?" The first officer asked.

"No," Kim said quickly. "I think we made our point. He'll never try that again."

As the officers finished the paperwork, Kim sighed. "I loved him," she mumbled.

"You love _every_ boy you go out with," Briana pointed out. "You know, until you _don't."_

"I'm an idiot."

"No, _he_ is. He hit a Twinnovator. Did he not expect violence to follow?" Briana hugged her. "It's okay, K. You'll find a better guy next time."

Kim hoped her sister was right.

 _ **BRIANA**_

Jared had gotten off easy. Briana and her sister could have done worse to him. They were the daughters of two ECW stars. They'd been raised in wrestling. They had been given kendo sticks practically at birth. They were known collectively in the wrestling world as the Twinnovators of Violence, a play on their father's nickname, the Innovator of Violence.

Briana was still furious when they got home. She couldn't sleep, so she snuck out of the house and headed to her favorite tree in the park. She climbed up into it and watched the world beneath her. That was how she spotted trouble.

A girl was walking through the park, probably taking a shortcut on the way home, when a man ran up and grabbed her bag. The girl screamed and struggled to defend herself.

 _I wonder if there's a record for getting arrested multiple times in one night,_ Briana thought. _And me without my kendo stick..._ She shrugged, then jumped out of the tree and attacked the mugger, hitting him in the head with her elbow and making him stumble.

He was momentarily stunned. "Where the fuck did _you_ come from?" He demanded.

"EC F'n W, Bitch!" Briana replied before kicking his leg out from under him.

The mugger cried out in pain. Briana didn't give him a chance to recover. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his head and sat on his back, pulling him into a submission hold. "Call the cops," she told the girl.

"Get off me, you crazy bitch!" The mugger cried out as he struggled to free himself.

"No... And I've been called worse," Briana told him.

"Stupid cunt!"

Briana tightened the hold. He stopped talking. Within minutes, the police arrived. Briana released him. The officer looked at her and she groaned. " _Again?_ " He asked. It was the ECW fanboy.

"She saved me from a mugger!" The girl cried.

"Of _course_ she did," he said with a sigh. "Just go before I change my mind... And tell your parents I want an autograph."

Briana smiled sweetly at him before she took off running, fully aware of how lucky she was.

 _ **CHRIS**_

It had started off innocently enough. Chris was just talking to his father like he often did, but his mother suddenly seemed upset. "Chris, this has to _stop!"_ She said.

"What's wrong?" He asked in confusion.

"Look, I know this was how you soothed yourself as a kid, but you're twelve now. It's been a few years... You're too old to keep talking to your father!"

"But Mom-"

"No! I mean it, Chris. People are starting to notice."

 _She means well, Buddy,_ his father said.

"I know, Dad, but-" Chris replied.

"I can't keep doing this, Chris! I'm taking you to a doctor," his mother said.

"Why?" Chris asked.

"Because sane people don't have conversations with their dead fathers, Baby. This isn't normal."

Apparently, the doctors agreed. That was how Chris ended up on medication and learned not to talk about the fact that he could still hear his father.

 _ **LUKE**_

He'd gotten supremely wasted. It was only eleven in the morning, but Luke didn't care. It was _never_ too early to steal some of his father's beer. His dad never noticed anyway. He just assumed he'd drank them himself.

Luke was really, really bored. He decided to climb up onto his bed and practice some wrestling moves. Naturally, he fell off the bed and cracked his head open, but he got right back up to try some more. A little blood wouldn't slow _him_ down!

When he fell a second time, his father came running up the stairs. "What the hell happened?" He asked.

"I went for a DDT and lost my footing," Luke admitted.

"Let me see."

Luke did it again. His father steadied him before he could fall. "Okay, kiddo, here's where you went wrong," his father said. He helped him through the motion, correcting his footing and making him feel instantly more balanced.

"Thanks, Dad," Luke said as his father cleaned up his head injury.

"No problem... Just don't tell your mother." His father grinned. "Oh, and Luke? Pace yourself, Kiddo. Three beers before eleven is a lot for your little body."

Luke dropped his jaw. "You _knew?"_

His father laughed. "I _always_ know, Kiddo. And I get that you're trying to be like your old man, but slow it down, okay? You're still a kid."

"My siblings all drink."

"Your siblings are all older."

"But Dad-"

"I'm not gonna ask you to never drink, but drink less, okay?"

"Okay," Luke agreed, deciding that was fair enough for now.

 _ **ABBY**_

History class could be so _dull_ sometimes. Abby decided what the classroom _really_ needed was some color commentary.

"That was the day that JFK was assassinated," the teacher droned on.

" _Oh my God!"_ Abby declared in a dead-on impression of her father. "Oh my God, the _blood!_ The _horror!_ He _shot_ him! He _shot_ JFK! Oh, the humanity! _Why_ did this happen?" She asked dramatically.

"Abby-" The teacher began.

"Did you _see_ that? His brain's all over the street! His _eyeball's_ on the _sidewalk_!"

"Abigail!"

"Who would _do_ such a thing? What sort of monster would kill such a wonderful man? His mistress will be so distraught!"

" _Abigail Bonsignore!_ Go to the principal's office _immediately!"_

"Thanks, Ma'am. I know the way," Abby said before skipping out of the classroom. Upon her arrival at the principal's office, he looked up at her.

"Abby," he said.

"Bob. How's the wife and kids?" Abby asked cheerfully.

"They're fine... What was it _this_ time?"

She shrugged. "I got bored."

"Of course you did." He shook his head and laughed. "Have a seat."

"Scrabble?" Abby asked.

"Of course." He pulled out the board game and set it up like he did every time Abby got kicked out of a class. It happened at least three times a week. They began to play, successfully holding Abby's attention until the end of her class period.

"I win," Abby said cheerfully as the bell rang. "Rematch tomorrow?"

"Let's hope it's not _quite_ that soon," the principal said with a laugh. With that, Abby headed to lunch.

 _ **MARKIE**_

There was no justice in the world. The vending machine was out of all caffeinated beverages. "I'm _dying_ ," Markie said dramatically. "Save me!"

Her best friend Craig pulled out a can of Coke from his backpack. "Here," he said. "I had a feeling you might need it."

"Craig, you are my hero!" She hugged him before downing the soda like a shot.

Craig laughed. "Better?" He asked.

"Better," she confirmed.

Soon after, they arrived at their destination, the wrestling school their fathers ran. Twice a week, they trained there, learning basic wrestling skills. Of course, what Markie _really_ wanted to learn was how to put someone through a table, but her stepmother, Jamie, insisted that couldn't happen until she was at least eighteen.

 _Three more years,_ she thought. "Dreaming of tables?" Craig asked knowingly.

"And ladders and chairs," Markie replied. Craig was awesome. He _got_ her.

Her father came in and nodded at them. "Hey, Mark," Craig said.

"What did I tell you, Craig? Here, it's _Bubba_ ," her father said.

"Sorry, Bubba, Sir," Craig said quickly.

Her father laughed. "Jeez, Devon, do you beat the kid or something? He's so well-trained! Relax, Kid. I'm only kidding. You're practically my nephew."

Devon, Craig's father, laughed. "Come on, kids," he said. "Today you're doing strength training with me."

They obediently followed him to the training area. Markie was still getting used to all of this. She'd only known her father for two years. Her mother hadn't told him about her until then, but after getting diagnosed with a terminal case of a ridiculously unpronounceable something or another, she'd decided Markie should know her father. Eight months later, she'd died. Markie moved in with her father and Jamie, and she mostly coped with the loss of her mother through physical activity. Training was her favorite escape.

 _ **CRAIG**_

He could have watched Markie train all day... He loved spending time with her. For the last sixteen months, ever since he'd met her, he'd had a serious crush on her. She was beautiful, funny, and passionate about basically everything she did.

Markie had changed a bit since she'd first come to town. She'd been slightly withdrawn upon her arrival, but when his father asked him to take her under his wing until she adjusted, she and Craig had become instant friends. She started opening up to him pretty quickly, and she adjusted to life without her mother unbelievably well. Craig knew Markie still cried about losing her mother sometimes, but he never called her on it. Instead, he just made sure that he was always there for her. Most of the time, Markie bounced off the walls and stayed upbeat.

"Caffeination break!" Markie declared after about an hour.

Craig went to the office and grabbed two cans of Coke out of the refrigerator, along with a bottle of water. Both cans were for Markie. Mark kept them on-hand at all times because he'd quickly realized his new daughter was addicted to all things caffeinated and sugar-based.

"Thanks," Markie said as she downed the first can. She drank the second one more slowly while Craig nursed his water.

"Yo! Rope running! Make it happen!" Mark called from the doorway.

Markie grinned. She loved running around the ring like a madwoman. Craig had been doing that since he was a toddler, so it was slightly less exciting to him, but it made Markie smile, and he loved seeing the joy on her face.

 _ **ARTIE**_

Tutoring came naturally to Artie. His father was a teacher, after all. Unknown to many, he'd also once been a professional wrestler, but few ever made the connection between Mr. Hyson and Spike Dudley. Artie sometimes wondered if wrestling would come naturally to him as well. Everyone treated him like a nerd and a joke, but maybe if he became a wrestler, that would change.

As he left the library and tried to soothe his wounded IQ after tutoring what had to be the dumbest kid on the planet, Artie bumped into a very large, very solid chest.

"Watch it, Loser!" The chest's owner shouted. He shoved Artie hard against the wall.

Artie cried out as the bully twisted his arm behind his back. "If you ever breathe my air again, you're _dead,_ you little fag!" He shouted, hitting Artie's head against the wall for emphasis.

Artie stayed perfectly still even after they left. Only when he was positive he was alone did he run into the bathroom and cry.

 _ **TURNER**_

The metal music blasting in the car he'd stolen... or, _borrowed,_ as he liked to say _..._ for a joyride was pumping through his veins. He sped through one light after another, and he didn't stop until he jumped a curb and hit a pole. Thankfully, he'd hit the brakes just enough to lessen the impact. He jumped out of the car laughing as the cops arrived.

"You guys finally caught up to me! Good for you! Gold stars all around!" Turner declared.

"Son, you're under arrest," one officer said.

"No shit, Sherlock. I figured that out." He shrugged and added, "It was bound to happen eventually."

As he was loaded into the police car, he started humming along to the metal song still stuck in his head. He didn't really care that he'd just been arrested. His mother had basically washed his hands of him as soon as he hit puberty, and he'd never known his father. He didn't even know the guy's name. There was no one left to disappoint, so he figured as long as he was having fun, everything was fine.

 _ **CARRIE**_

The fist fight had landed her in the principal's office. "Carrie, Marjory says you tried to choke her," Principal Owens said.

She'd tried to chokeslam the girl for attempting to steal her iPod. It seemed like a valid reason. "She tried to rob me, Sir," Carrie said sweetly. "In fact, this was a clear case of self-defense. Marjory had _no right_ to try to steal my property, and I had no choice but to defend myself. And _furthermore_ , I have a right to expect safety within the walls of this school! This situation never should have come up! _Clearly,_ the school is responsible for failing to protect me!"

The principal shook his head. "You should be a lawyer, Carrie," he said. "I'll let it go, and I will deal with Marjory."

Carrie smiled and walked out of the office confidently. Her father wanted her to be a lawyer, too, but that was _not_ happening. Carrie was going to be a wrestler. She'd decided that at six years old, and it hadn't changed. Her father was not happy about it, but that didn't matter. Carrie had been born to wrestle.

 _ **EVAN**_

He wasn't surprised that Carrie was coming out of the principal's office. It happened pretty frequently. His little sister excelled at getting into trouble. Thankfully, she also excelled at talking her way out of it.

"Again?" He asked.

"Marjory tried to steal my iPod," Carrie said with a shrug. "Bitch had it coming."

"You know how Dad feels about this sort of thing, Carrie."

"Which is why we won't be telling him... _Right?"_

Evan sighed. "Right," he said. He didn't want to listen to one of their father's epic rants anymore than Carrie did.

His phone rang. He answered it quickly. "Hey, Dad," he said smoothly. "What's up?"

"What did she do now?" His father asked, somehow just knowing. That was common for him. So was his habit of not asking Evan how _he_ was or if _he_ was busy before diving into a rant about his sister. Evan loved his father, but it was clear that no matter how much trouble she caused, Carrie was the favorite.

 _ **AIDEN**_

Smoking a blunt after school always relaxed Aiden. Then again, he was a pretty mellow guy in general. He sat on his phone playing video games and thinking about the universes they portrayed.

"Bro!" His best friend Donnie called. "I got plans tonight. Party at Brittany's. Come with me."

"Sure," Aiden replied. It was a Friday night. His parents wouldn't care.

The party wasn't really his scene. The kids were into hardcore drugs and he hadn't experimented with anything stronger than pot. Donnie, however, was interested in expanding his horizons. He injected something scary into his veins. Aiden watched uncomfortably.

"This is great!" Donnie said, feeling it already.

"Dude... I don't know," Aiden said.

Before Donnie could reply, he began twitching and flew into a seizure. Aiden knelt beside him and tried to keep him steady, but nothing worked. Finally, Donnie stopped seizing. Aiden thought it was going to be okay until he realized that Donnie wasn't breathing.

Immediately, Aiden tried CPR. "Call an ambulance!" He shouted. He knew CPR well, and he didn't give up even as the paramedics arrived.

"I'm sorry," one said gently. "He's gone."

"No..." Aiden protested, trying again. It took them ten minutes to get him to stop, and even then, he couldn't fully accept it.

Just like that, his best friend was gone. Aiden vowed then and there never to do anything harder than weed. The price was far too high.

 _ **PHIL**_

To say Phil partied hard was an understatement. The fact that some kid he didn't know had just overdosed didn't deter him. His father had partied for years without much consequence, so he figured he had good genes.

When the party was broken up, Phil took a girl home with him. He didn't know her name, and she was as wasted as he was. His father barely seemed to notice he'd even walked in the door.

"Hey, that's Sabu!" The girl said excitedly.

"Yeah," Phil said. "I'm his kid."

"That's sexy," the girl said with a giggle. "I love wrestling."

"Good, because I plan on doing some _grown-up_ wrestling with you."

She laughed. "Sounds like fun, Baby." She followed him upstairs and Phil knew he was in for a good night.

 _ **FELICIA**_

The walls in her house were too fucking thin. She could hear her twin brother humping some kinky wannabe ring rat in the next room.

 _Great,_ she thought. _Not exactly the soundtrack I wanted to do my history report to._

This wasn't abnormal. Phil cared more about getting laid than passing his classes. They might be twins, but she was the complete opposite of her brother. Felicia preferred getting good grades and living a straightedge lifestyle to getting high and forgetting her name. She was the odd girl out in her family.

"Headphones," she decided aloud. "That's what I need." She turned on her favorite playlist and put the headphones on, effectively drowning out the rest of the world.

 _ **VINNY**_

The wrestling team at school had been lame until Vinny joined it. Now, it had some respect. No one understood how Vinny was so good at wrestling, but he didn't explain. They didn't need to know it was in his blood. He'd been born to Tazz.

It was a family habit to keep the fame at a distance. Vinny enjoyed having some privacy as much as his father did, but he wondered how long that could last.

His father was there for his match, which Vinny easily won. "Hey, oh my God!" One of the kids said. "Aren't you Tazz?"

"Nope," his father said, walking away. The kid blinked after him, not sure what to do.

Vinny laughed. _That's Dad,_ he thought. _Super smooth._

Someday, he planned on growing up to be exactly like him.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! There's a lot more to come! I appreciate any reviews. The next chapter will take place when the kids are a bit older, and they will reform ECW!_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO:** _ **Eight Years Later**_

 _ **KIM**_

In their short time wrestling, Kim and Briana had accomplished a lot. They'd debuted at House of Hardcore, their father's promotion. They'd trained at the HoH school along with Chris, whose mother, Gayle, had initially refused to let him train at all. When the shy and often withdrawn son of Balls Mahoney had approached their father at the age of seventeen and humbly requested that he train him to wrestle so he could honor his father's memory, Kim's father had immediately agreed. He'd then called up Gayle himself and talked her into allowing it. The Rechners were close family friends, and her father had gently pointed out that if Gayle didn't let him train Chris now, the kid would be eighteen in a year and would find a way to train God only knew where. There were dangerous "schools" out there. Chris would be safe at HoH. Gayle reluctantly agreed.

Technically, Luke had trained at HoH, too, but the crazy son of the Sandman hadn't ever really trained properly. His father did most of his training, but from the time Luke was fourteen, he'd gone out to the ring as his father's sidekick, carrying a kendo stick and tossing beer to the fans. He wasn't allowed to drink in public because he was a minor and he'd have been taken away, but he was still a great part of the act, earning the nickname of Little Sandy. By sixteen, he was actually allowed to start wrestling in some states and he became an instant hit with all of his father's fans.

Kim and Briana were known by the tag team name their father had coined for them at birth, the Twinnovators. They initially stayed somewhat anonymous as Twinnovator K and Twinnovator B, but when they had their first solo matches, they adopted their actual ring names of Kimmy and Bri Dreamer. Since then, they'd wrestled in TNA, WWE, ROH, EVOLVE, CZW (that one had not exactly thrilled their parents, but they were hardcore, and technically, it was WSU, the female branch of CZW), New Japan, Lucha Underground, and basically everywhere else. If it was an indy, big or small, they'd take bookings. Their father always supported smaller promotions and never got too big of a head for them, and the twins followed his example.

"What's next for us?" Kim wondered aloud.

"We're going to Disneyland? I don't know," Briana replied.

"I think we can do more, Bri."

"Like what?"

"Like starting our own promotion. Just like Dad."

"House of Hardcore is pretty much ours, anyway. Dad's made it clear he wouldn't dream of leaving it in anyone else's hands when he gets sick of running it."

"Yeah, but... I don't know, Bri. I want something that's just _ours."_

" _I'm_ just yours," Luke piped up from behind them. He flashed them a grin. "However you want me!"

"Dork," both girls said in unison with matching grins. Luke placed himself between them, wrapping one arm around each twin.

"Well, let's see how Lukey here feels," Briana said. "If we started our own promotion, would you join the roster?"

"Hell yeah! Sign me up," Luke replied eagerly.

"What about you, Chris?" Kim asked as she spotted him standing nearby.

"Sure... I mean, I guess. Mom wouldn't like it," Chris replied uneasily. "She barely lets me wrestle _here."_

"You're an adult now, Chrissy-boy," Luke pointed out. "You don't have to listen to her anymore."

"She means well..."

"I'm sure she does," Kim said.

"But she's holding you back," Briana finished.

"Well, what sort of promotion would it be?" Chris asked.

"Hardcore!" The twins said in unison.

"Like ECW!" Luke added.

"Wait... ECW," Briana said.

"What about it?" Kim asked.

"Look, ECW is our legacy. WWE bought it out and scrapped it for parts, ruining the product, but the original promotion... It was _epic._ What if we brought it back?"

"But WWE owns the rights to the name and everything connected to it," Chris pointed out.

"We have money. If enough of us come together, maybe we can buy back the rights," Kim said.

"I don't have money," Chris said sadly. "I couldn't even afford training if your dad hadn't insisted on training me for free. And every dime I can spare after feeding myself and paying rent goes to my mom."

"Give me a dollar," Briana said.

"What?" Chris asked in confusion.

"Give. Me. A dollar." Chris shrugged and pulled one out, then handed it to her. "There!" Briana declared triumphantly. "Now, you are officially a partial owner of the New ECW!"

Kim smiled, especially as she saw Chris tear up a little. Sometimes, her twin knew exactly what to say.

"So you guys are in?" Kim asked.

"One hundred percent," Briana replied.

"One hundred pennies, apparently," Chris said with a laugh.

"Totally," Luke chimed in.

"It's going to take a lot more of us to get this kind of money together," Briana said. "Who else can we invite to join the roster?"

"Dudleys," the twins decided in unison.

"That's three," Chris said. Markie, Craig, and Artie all trained at Mark and Devon's school, but they'd done more than a few House of Hardcore shows and the twins knew them well. Mark was their father's best friend.

"What about Abby Styles?" Luke asked.

"Abby's great!" Kim said excitedly. She'd trained as a commentator at HoH for a while. Currently, she worked for EVOLVE, the very promotion that had started her father's streak of getting fired. Abby loved controversy. She also worked for several other promotions. Her schedule was always full, but Kim knew she'd be on board if they reformed ECW.

"What other ECW stars have kids?" Briana asked.

"The Brunk twins," Luke suggested. "Sabu's kids. They're pretty good."

"Felicia's awesome... Phil can be a pain in the ass, but he's talented," Briana replied. "Maybe Abby can call them."

"What about Aiden?" Chris suggested.

"Stevie's son? Good idea!" Kim said. She was getting excited as this was starting to come together. If all of their friends agreed to join in this project, Kim knew they could pull it off.

 _ **ABBY**_

The last thing she'd expected when she saw Briana's name on her Caller ID was that she and her sister were planning to start a new ECW with the children of the original wrestlers, but she was _so_ in! "Anything you need, just let me know," Abby said. "I have a ton of connections." It was true. Abby knew pretty much everyone on the indy circuit.

As soon as she hung up, she called her father. "Dad, guess what!" She said.

"What's up, Abby?" He asked.

"The Dreamer Twins, Mini Sandman, and Baby Balls are going to resurrect ECW!"

He was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "That's a great goal, but it won't be easy. WWE owns the rights."

"They figure if enough of the legacies come together, we can buy the rights back."

"Abs, WWE won't just let ECW go."

"The twins are _very_ persuasive, and they're on really good terms with WWE. If anyone can pull this off, they can."

"Okay. I believe in you kids. How can I help?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll keep you posted. Love you, Dad!"

"Love you, too."

Abby hung up and dialed another number. "Hello?" The person answered.

"Carrie, it's me," she said. "How would you and your brother like to do something crazy?"

"Kinky threesome?" Carrie teased her.

Abby laughed. "Sounds like fun. But no, this is even crazier... Tommy's girls want to take ECW back from WWE and resurrect the original promotion."

Carrie gasped. "Seriously?" She asked. "That's awesome!"

"We'd need a crazy amount of cash."

"I'm a Heyman. I have a crazy amount of cash at all times. The same obviously goes for my brother."

"Talk to Evan and let me know if he's in, too."

"He's in. He gets no say," Carrie said seriously. "ECW was the house our father built. If _anyone_ should be involved in resurrecting it, it's us."

Abby had to agree. "Great. The girls already got Chris Rechner and the mini Sandman on board, and they're calling the Dudley kids."

"This is awesome! E C F'n W is coming back!" Carrie said excitedly.

"Damn right. Anyone else you can think of that we should involve?"

"Don't Sabu's twins with the Super Genie wrestle?"

"They do. Bri actually asked me to give them a call."

"And what's ECW without Tazz? I'll call Vinny."

"Of _course_ you will."

"Hey, he's my friend."

"And he's hot."

"Well, there's that, too," Carrie admitted with a laugh.

"Get back to me on what he says. I'll pass everything along to Bri and Kim."

"Awesome."

Abby hung up and dialed Felicia, figuring it would be better to talk to the twin she knew would be sober first.

"Hey, Abs, what's up?" Felicia answered.

"I've got some crazy inside information I thought you'd like to know," Abby said. "Tommy's twins are bringing ECW back with the children of the originals, and I'm trying to help them build the roster... If anyone screams ECW, it's your father."

"Interesting... Are you just looking at me, or do you want my brother, too?"

"Phil would be a great addition, too." It was true. As much as Phil struggled with addiction issues, he was a great wrestler. He'd been ruling CZW for a while. Felicia stayed close to her brother, so she also worked at CZW as his valet and wrestled at WSU. They'd even done their training at the CZW Dojo. A lot of promotions were afraid to work with the children of Sabu because he was known for so many issues, but CZW had embraced them. Felicia had gotten offers from Shimmer, SHINE, and Valkyrie, but she didn't want to leave Phil. The only other reputable promotion the twins had wrestled for was House of Hardcore. Tommy was still friendly with their father and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have held that against them.

"Hang on... Phil! Come here for a sec," Felicia called.

"Whassup, Leesh?" He asked.

"You're on speaker, Abby," Felicia said.

"Abby! Hello, Beautiful. How you doing?" Phil asked.

"I'm great, Philly. Listen, I have a proposition for you," Abby said.

"Sounds sexy!"

"Not _that_ kind of proposition, Dumbass," Abby said affectionately. She explained things again.

"Shit yeah! Sounds great! The world _needs_ ECW! Fuck WWE and their PG bullshit!"

"We're both in," Felicia added. "Just tell us when and where."

"Details coming soon," Abby promised.

"I'll wait with baited breath, Princess," Phil said.

Abby laughed. "Talk to you guys later." She hung up and smiled, starting to get more excited. This could really work.

 _ **VINNY**_

When a Heyman called, you _always_ picked up. That was a lesson his father had taught him years ago. Vinny saw Carrie's number on the Caller ID and answered immediately. "Hey, Carrie," he said. "What's up?"

"Vinny, what would you say if I told you I have the opportunity of a lifetime for you?" Carrie replied mysteriously.

"I'd say that you have my attention."

"Good. There's about to be a hostile takeover of WWE's rights to the ECW brand."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"The Twinnovators and some of the other ECW legacies, including me, are going to buy back the rights and start the promotion up again. I don't think there can be an ECW without a Heyman involved, and I _also_ don't think it can exist without someone representing Tazz. Would you like to join us?"

He was stunned. "It sounds great, Carrie, but it's impossible. WWE won't ever let ECW go. They make too much money off of the old footage. They show it on the Network, they sell the pay-per-views on DVD..."

"So what? They can keep the _old_ footage, but they've ruined the name of my father, Paul Heyman's legacy." She said it just like her father would say _My client, Insert-Name-Here._ Carrie invoked her father's name often. "We _have_ to save it, Vinny. We're the _only_ ones who can."

Vinny realized this wasn't just another crazy idea Carrie was running with until she got bored. This battle was personal for her, and in a way, it was personal for _all_ of them. WWE had turned the ECW wrestlers into jokes, making the brand look pathetic by turning it into their C show. They'd forced their parents to wrestle for them with a ton of rules that made ECW nearly unrecognizable, and when they were done, they spit them out and tossed them away. Even Tommy Dreamer, who'd tried so hard to keep the brand alive in a company that never cared about it, had been tossed out like trash when they got rid of the brand. They brought him out from time to time as their trained monkey, but they never kept him around for long, and they never assigned him to RAW or Smackdown. Then there was Vinny's own father, who they'd relegated to very badly scripted commentary. They only wanted the Dudleys when TNA relied on them for their survival. They'd fired Joey Styles for, well, _being_ Joey Styles and saying something that disagreed with their PG ERA standards. They never appreciated anyone from ECW, no matter how hard they worked. Hell, they'd even turned _Paul Heyman_ into their bitch.

"What do I need to do?" Vinny asked, knowing there was no way he could refuse. This battle _needed_ to be fought.

 _ **AIDEN**_

Aiden had been friends with Phil and Felicia Brunk for years. They'd even gone to high school together. Although Phil had hung out with the very crowd Aiden avoided and Felicia was extremely studious and slightly difficult to approach at times, their fathers were part of the unbreakable ECW brotherhood, and that had bonded them for life.

The text on his phone left Aiden more curious than anything. Phil had simply said, _I got sumthin 4 u, bro._

It could have been drugs. Phil often forgot Aiden only smoked weed. It could have been a gig. Phil had gotten Aiden booked on CZW a few times. Hell, it could have been a stray animal. Phil knew Aiden liked taking in strays. He'd once texted, _I've got a pussy for you 2 pet_ when literally talking about a stray cat.

 _What is it?_ Aiden sent back.

 _E...C... F-ing... W!_

Aiden was even more confused, so he called Phil. As it was explained to him, he began to get excited. "Yeah, dude, I'm totally in!" He said.

"I knew you would be!" Phil said. "This is gonna be _so_ great, man!"

Aiden agreed it sounded great. He was excited to see where it might go. He decided to celebrate this new venture by going for a walk. Aiden loved nature. He spotted a squirrel and sat down with it for a bit.

"Don't tell anyone, Mr. Squirrel, but ECW is coming back," he said. The squirrel looked unimpressed. "Hmmm... Must not be a wrestling fan _ **,"**_ Aiden decided. After all, any wrestling fan would know that this was the most exciting news ever.

 _ **TURNER**_

Things were getting better. Turner had trained at a truly awful wrestling "school" because it was the best he could afford, but the experience had left him extremely green. He'd finally begun training himself, meeting other indy guys at shithole promotions and asking the ones who didn't totally suck for tips. By some miracle, he'd actually picked up some real skills, and thanks to his natural talent, he'd learned enough to pull off a decent match.

He'd gotten booked at one of the shitholes against Phil Brunk, the son of Sabu, who was a really hardcore guy. Phil had asked if he wanted to try some crazy shit, and Turner had figured, why not? They'd had an extremely hardcore match that gained popularity on YouTube. Something about the hardcore style felt so natural to him. He decided from then on, that was how he'd wrestle. Phil helped him get booked at CZW, and from there, he started getting decent bookings. He'd held a few titles, the fans were fully behind him, and he'd had several matches that had been deemed legendary. He got arrested slightly less often than Nick Gage, so DJ Hyde loved having him around. And if Hyde liked you, a world of opportunities immediately opened up to you.

Somehow, the information that he was now a hardcore wrestler got back to his mother. That was when the unbelievable truth had come out.

 _"You wanna throw your life away?" She'd demanded. "Go ahead! You're just like_ him!"

 _"Like_ who?" _Turner asked._

 _"Your loser junkie father!"_

 _"Wait... My father was a wrestler?"_

 _"Brian was into that violent crap, yes. Putting his body on the line, taking stupid risks... And it put him in the ground at forty-four years old! That's where this shit's going to lead you, Turner! I'm so lucky I left him when I did. I worked hard to keep you away from all of that, and this is how you repay me?"_

His mother had refused to speak to him after that. He hadn't known his father was dead. Hell, he'd never even known his father's first name, although he knew his mother had given him his last name. Naturally, Turner googled Brian Knighton. What he found had floored him.

He'd never told anyone that Axl Rotten was his father. He had no proof. His mother had his birth certificate locked away, and his father was dead. His awesome father, a legend of ECW, had died before Turner ever got the chance to meet him. Sometimes, keeping the secret was impossibly hard. He'd met Tommy Dreamer while attending House of Hardcore as a fan and had nearly blurted it out. He vowed that one day, when he was finally good enough and when the timing was right, he'd tell the world who he really was.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 _ **BRIANA**_

One week after hatching their plan to bring ECW back, Briana and Kim found themselves sitting in Triple H's office. Kim chewed her bottom lip nervously. Briana found herself fidgeting as they waited for him to speak.

"It's great to see you girls," Paul Levesque said. "You know, we have a little room on the roster. I'm sure we'll have no trouble finding something for you two."

"Hunter," Kim interrupted, knowing he preferred when outside talent called him by his ring name. "That's not why we're here."

"Oh?" He looked surprised. "Well then, what can I do for you ladies?"

"We're interested in purchasing something you currently hold the copyright for."

"That's an unusual request. What could you possibly want to buy from us?"

"Well, um, Hunter... We... um..." Kim looked at Briana for support as her nerves got the best of her.

"We're here for ECW," Briana said bluntly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"We want to start the promotion up again, using the legacies," Kim said, more confidently now that Briana had asked for the moon.

"I see... Well, bringing ECW back through the kids certainly sounds like an interesting idea! We could run it on the Network as our third big show."

"No, Paul," Briana said, not bothering with keeping up the kayfabe. They'd known the man since they were toddlers. He was Paul Levesque, not Triple H. "We want to run ECW on our terms... A PG promotion just won't work."

"Kimmy, listen-"

"I'm Bri, actually."

"My apologies, Bri... The thing is, ECW belongs to WWE. Paul Heyman sold all of the rights to us, and we will do what we see fit with its legacy. Now, I'd love to discuss running a new legacy-based ECW within this company. Who would you girls like to include?"

"That's not good enough, Paul," Briana insisted. "How much would it cost to buy back the rights?"

Paul laughed at her question. "Oh, sweetheart," he said condescendingly, "you couldn't possibly afford that."

"Name a price, Paul. Because we aren't alone in this."

Paul named a price so outrageously high that Briana was positive he was making it up. "We'll get it," Kim said confidently. Briana knew she was bluffing. Even if all of the legacies they'd rounded up agreed to chip in everything they had, it wouldn't be enough.

"Well, best of luck with that," Paul said pleasantly.

As they left his office, Briana sighed. "That didn't go as well as I'd hoped it would," she said.

"We could start a Go Fund Me," Kim said. "I know... Lame idea, right?"

"Maybe not. The fans _love_ ECW. We might actually have a shot at getting the money together through that," Briana said. She hoped it was possible, but she knew that even if they raised the funds, it would be an uphill battle getting the bastards at WWE to agree to give up the copyright.

 _ **CHRIS**_

The matching looks on the faces of both twins told him things hadn't gone well. "He didn't agree, did he?" Chris asked.

"He basically laughed in our faces," Briana said.

"He gave us a ridiculous price, too," Kim added.

 _Don't let them give up,_ his father insisted. _This can work. This_ has to _work._

 _Dad, the WWE isn't willing to play ball. Triple H just made it clear,_ Chris replied, careful to do so silently.

 _So Hunter's got 'em by the balls, eh? Time to kick him in his! I mean, they're tiny... Like_ super _tiny... Princess Stephanie shrank 'em years ago... But I'm sure you kids can hurt him._

"Maybe this was crazy," Kim said with a sigh.

"No, Kim," Chris said. "Don't give up. We can still make this work."

"How?" Briana asked.

 _That's a pretty good question... Dad? How do they make this work?_ Chris asked.

 _Public pressure, Buddy. They're thinking of starting a Go Fund Me. Make sure they do it. If you kids can raise enough money and the fans are pissed enough, they'll have no choice but to bow to it._

 _I thought you said the McMahons don't bow to anyone,_ Chris objected.

 _They don't, but Hunter's not a McMahon. If he realizes playing dirty doesn't work, he'll play the good guy to protect his company's image. Trust me, Chris. They just need to be patient._

"Start the Go Fund Me," Chris said.

"How did you know about that? We didn't even mention it," Kim said.

 _Shit,_ Chris thought. He'd slipped up again. He quickly covered it by saying, "It's just logical. We need money for this, and that's the quickest way to get it."

The twins seemed satisfied with his explanation. "I'll make it right now," Briana said.

"No," Kim said. "Have Abby do it. She's amazing with words. So are Carrie and Evan."

 _Smart girl,_ his father said. _Use the three with the best promo skills on the planet._

 _Dad, are you sure this will work?_ Chris asked.

 _Of_ course _it will work, Buddy,_ his father replied casually. _It_ has _to. There's no other option. So it will._

Chris wished he shared his father's optimism. He smiled and encouraged the twins, but he was nervous. If this failed, it would destroy them, and he hated seeing them upset. Kim and Briana were like big sisters to him. He couldn't let them be disappointed. He smiled and put on a confident act as he insisted this plan would work. He really hoped his father was right.

 _ **ABBY**_

Writing a compelling Go Fund Me story was easy for Abby. Still, she had asked Carrie and Evan to look it over and help her make it even better.

Within four hours of sharing it on all three of their social media pages, they'd surpassed the goal. "Piece of fucking cake," Abby said with a grin. She called the twins and shared the good news.

"Hunter's gonna eat his words now," Abby said confidently. "Can I come with you guys for the meeting?"

"Definitely," Briana replied.

"We could use the support," Kim added.

The following morning, she saw the twins outside of the WWE Headquarters. She smiled. "Ready?" She asked.

"Completely," the twins said in unison.

They walked into his office together after Security let them in. Very calmly, they sat down. "Miss Styles," Paul said, sticking to kayfabe names. "I wasn't aware you were involved in this."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss _this_ for the world," Abby replied sweetly.

"We have your money, Hunter," Kim said. "We're ready to make a deal."

Paul stared at them. "You have the money?" He asked.

"We do," Briana confirmed.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't allow this."

"But you said-" Briana began.

"I named a price. I never said I'd actually sell the rights to you. Have a nice day, Girls." He opened the door, effectively tossing them out.

"Fuck," Briana said. "I _knew_ that scumbag would pull something like this!"

"He's fucking holding ECW hostage!" Abby agreed.

"I guess we need to refund everyone's money," Kim said sadly.

"Not just yet," Abby said. "We're ECW kids. We don't give up that easily."

"You're damn right we don't!" Briana said. "Fuck Triple H and his people!"

"We'll start a hashtag... FreeECW!" Kim said eagerly.

"Awesome!" Abby said. "If you guys put this out there and explain what he's doing, it'll completely blow up."

"We have to find a way," Kim said. "This is about more than wanting to reclaim a name... This is about embracing our heritage and making people remember why our parents are legends."

Abby nodded. "Don't worry, Girls," she said. "We're going to make this work. We just need to be patient and seize the opportunity when the time comes to make our move." She was determined to do as she said. Kim was right. This was bigger than them now. This was about saving their parents' legacies.

 _ **PHIL**_

There weren't a lot of things that Phil would put money into other than his personal vices and obsessions, but ECW was definitely on the list. He'd managed to get himself booked on three extra shows that week. That money had gone straight into the ECW fund. He didn't touch it. Little was sacred to Phil, but ECW was his religion.

The day after Triple H rejected the money, the Go Fund Me turned into a new project. The goal was raised to help the twins get the new promotion started, even though they hadn't gotten the copyright yet. Phil gladly shared it on every social media page he had and posted it to every wrestling group he was a part of.

He considered asking his father to help but thought better of it. His dad had Go Fund Me experience, but he hadn't used the money for its stated purpose. Sure, he'd _planned_ to have that hip replacement, but he'd gotten into a bad way with his dealer and he'd had to give the money to him instead. The dealer had threatened to go after Felicia if his dad didn't pay up.

Phil shrugged off the memory of his sister pleading with their father to pay the money. He almost hadn't. Phil figured he was just calling the dealer's bluff, but Felicia had been attacked before by his dad's enemies. Phil had convinced him to use the money to keep Felicia safe. Ultimately, RVD and Rhyno had helped his father pay for the surgery.

"It shouldn't have been a debate," Phil thought aloud. It still bothered him that his father had actually considered not protecting his sister. He wanted to believe the best in him, but sometimes, he made it really fucking hard.

"Did you say something?" Felicia asked, looking up from whatever textbook she was reading. Although she'd become a successful wrestler, Felicia had stayed in school. She had two BA's and one MA, and was working toward a PhD, something Phil would never have considered. Hell, he'd barely graduated from high school, and even that had only been because he'd screwed a couple of his teachers. He wasn't stupid, but school bored him. Nothing he learned in there would ever be useful in the real world anyway. He didn't understand why his sister took such comfort in her textbooks, but he was glad that she had at least one thing that seemed to make her happy.

"Yeah, I said I'm hungry," he said, not daring to tell her the truth. He knew his father's issues were still a sore spot for her and he didn't want to upset her. Phil couldn't give a fuck about most people, but Felicia was his twin sister and he'd fight to the death to protect her.

"I'll make lunch," Felicia said immediately.

"Leesh, you're not my slave," he said quickly. "You don't have to cook for me."

"It's not like you know how to do it yourself," she teased him.

"No, but I _excel_ at ordering take-out." He grinned at her. "What do you want?"

Felicia looked pleasantly surprised. Their father basically ordered her around all day and expected her to do everything for him unless their mother was already taking care of it. "Okay... Chinese or Italian?"

"Chinese," Phil said. He ordered the food and felt slightly better about things. It was only Chinese food, but kind gestures went a long way with his sister.

His phone rang as they waited for their food. It was Hyde. He picked up. "Hey DJ! What can I do for you?"

"Phil, I've got great news for you, Kid!" Hyde said.

"Which is...?"

"I got a call today. The 'E is interested in you and your sister."

Phil's jaw dropped. "Seriously? WWE wants us?"

"Yeah. You ready for the big time?"

Phil smiled. "You bet we are!" He couldn't believe this. The WWE had never expressed an interest in them before.

"I'll get you the details. I'm proud of you guys." Hyde hung up and Phil was left staring at his phone.

"Did you just say what I think you said?" Felicia asked.

Phil nodded. "We're finally gonna get our chance, Leesh."

Felicia frowned. "That's curious timing," she mumbled.

"Who cares? This is what we've been waiting for!" Phil hugged her. Felicia put on a smile he knew was forced and stopped protesting. He didn't care _why_ they'd called, only that they _had_ called.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She was downing her third can of Coke when Artie and Craig joined her. "Trips is being a bitch," she said. "I say we put him through a table."

"I don't have any money left to cover your bail," Craig said.

"If they arrest me, Dad will put the cops through tables, too."

"I guess Jamie could pay _his_ bail," Artie suggested.

"Nah, she'd leave him to rot for a night," Craig said. "She'd bust Markie out, though."

"It's worth the jail time. Protesters get arrested all the time," Markie said.

"What are you protesting?" Artie asked.

"The unjust imprisonment of ECW."

"That's beautifully phrased."

"Thanks. Do you think it'll look good on a poster?"

"Poster?" Craig asked.

"Yeah. I plan on starting a poster campaign for all WWE shows... Have the fans bring posters demanding WWE give ECW its freedom."

"Isn't that a little much?"

"It's ECW, Craig! It's the blood, sweat, and tears of our parents. _Nothing_ is too much!"

She hadn't been raised by her father, but she was a lot like him in some ways, and she was proud to be his daughter. And just like her father, when she was passionate about something, nothing got in her way.

Her father joined them. "Hey, Kids, I've got news. Paul just called me. He has something for you guys again," he said.

Markie looked at her tag brothers. "All of a sudden?" She asked.

"You know how it works," her father replied.

"It's an attempt to stop us," Artie said.

"Stop you from what?"

"From helping Tommy's girls do the impossible," Craig says. "Which is why we can't take the deal."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dad, we're going to bring ECW back," Markie said.

Her father stared at her. "What?" He asked.

"We're getting the rights back and saving it," Craig said quickly.

She thought he might laugh at them or tell them it would never work. Instead, he grinned and asked, "What can I do to help?"

 _ **CARRIE**_

When her father, Paul Heyman, had enrolled Carrie in tumbling, gymnastics, and dance classes, he'd been trying to groom his little princess to be the perfect, elegant little lady. Carrie had had other plans.

She'd been grateful for all of the classes, of course. They'd helped her a lot as she trained to become a professional wrestler. Her skills in gymnastics and dance had given her an edge a lot of the other girls didn't have. Carrie had incredible control over her body. Learning wrestling moves wasn't so diffeent from learning a routine. Hell, even her time as a cheerleader, which she'd absolutely despised, had given her important skills she could use in the ring.

Dance classes had also provided Carrie with the tools she needed for an insanely memorable entrance. When Carrie Heyman walked into an arena, _everyone_ paid attention. She'd chosen _If_ by Janet Jackson as her entrance music. She dressed in sexy but tactful ring gear and incorporated a whip into her entrance, something that had nearly given her father heart failure the first time he saw her do it. She'd choreographed the entire dance herself. It left every straight man in the audience who wasn't related to her stiff, and she knew it. That wasn't why she did it. Carrie loved to dance. She loved losing herself in the pulse of the music. She also knew that an impressive entrance helped, but it wasn't what mattered the most. Melina Perez had given her the best advice in the world early into her training; an entrance didn't mean a damn thing if you couldn't back it up in the ring during a match.

Carrie had trained harder than half of the people in WWE. She was an indy wrestler, and that meant she needed to work twice as hard to get her career on track. Sure, she could ride in on her daddy's name. She could have been the next Stephanie McMahon, earning titles because of her name and finishing matches with a bitch slap, but that wasn't Carrie's style. Instead, she busted her ass and proved she was much more than just Paul Heyman's daughter.

Now, as Carrie entered the arena for EVOLVE, she lost herself in the music. Evan was her manager, and he walked out beside her, carrying himself as proudly as their father would have. She reached the ring and slid in easily, then picked her whip back up and began twirling it around as her entrance reached its climax. She broke down into the most complicated part of the dance as Evan watched her with the look of dignified approval he'd learned from their father.

As the music stopped, Evan picked up a microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, _my_ name is Evan Heyman, and I'm here to introduce to you my sister and my _favorite_ client, Carrie Heyman!" Evan said with perfect pacing. The crowd ate it up. They always did.

It was unusual for EVOLVE to feature a women's match. Carrie still wasn't sure why they'd called her and asked her to wrestle against Veda Scott, one of her favorite indy girls, but she'd gladly accepted.

The music that played next was a shock, and Evan and Carrie exchanged confused glances. William Regal walked out toward them. The audience went crazy for him.

"Hello, Carrie. It's lovely to see you," he said in that charming accent Carrie adored.

She smiled at him, still not sure what was going on. "Mr. Regal," Evan said.

"Mr. Heyman," William replied.

"What, may I ask, are you doing here? With all due respect, who gave you permission to interrupt my client, Carrie Heyman's match?"

Carrie had to give Evan credit for not breaking character. Whatever this was, it hadn't been discussed with either of them prior to the show.

"Forgive my intrusion. I am only here to offer your sister some incentive to win the match tonight."

"And what might _that_ be?" Evan asked.

"If Carrie Heyman beats Veda Scott tonight, she will be given a full-time contract with WWE!"

The crowd got excited. Carrie did not. What were they up to? She could hear Abby shouting, _"OH MY GOD!"_ She suspected her commentary reaction was a genuine one this time.

Carrie was supposed to win, but she had no intention on going to WWE, especially now that ECW was about to be resurrected. Carrie did something unheard of. She stood outside of the ring and waited to get counted out.

"What are you _doing?"_ Veda called to her from the ring.

"Losing," Carrie said. The referee hesitated, uncertain of what to do. "Go on, Ref. Ring the damn bell!"

The referee finally called for the bell. He raised Veda's hand in victory. Carrie got back into the ring with a microphone.

"WWE can _keep_ their contract," she said. "I don't want it."

William Regal looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "I beg your pardon?" He said in shock.

"I know what this is. WWE is trying to sign me to keep me from being part of something amazing, but let me tell you something, McMahons and Triple H... My. Soul. _Cannot._ Be bought!" She stared at him defiantly.

"Carrie, think about what you're saying," Gabe Sapolsky said as he came to the side of the ring. "No one turns down a WWE contract."

"The Young Bucks did. So did a lot of other wrestlers with self-respect. I am very serious when I tell you that I _refuse_ to sign that contract."

"That makes two of us," Evan said. "I stand by my sister's choice and fully support it. WWE is holding the copyright to ECW hostage. Our father, Paul Heyman, had to watch his legacy be destroyed and turned into a joke. Now, we went to WWE and got a verbal quote from Triple H himself, but when we raised the money to purchase the copyright, he refused to let the rights go."

Carrie smiled at him before adding, "We want our legacy back, not just for ourselves, but for you fans. You have supported ECW since its inception, and you deserve a product that lives up to its name."

That was when Abby came toward them. She looked at Gabe. "May I?" She asked.

Gabe nodded, clearly thinking Abby could talk sense into them. Instead, Abby looked straight at the camera and said, "Free E-C-Dub! Free E-C-Dub!" The crowd quickly picked this up. Soon, the entire arena was chanting.

Gabe stared at them. "Abby, this is _completely_ unprofessional!" He said, singling her out. "You know how important our relationship with WWE is. I have no choice. You're fired."

Abby grinned. " _Finally!_ I've only been trying to get fired since you _hired_ me," she said. She turned back to the crowd and began chanting again. "Free E-C-Dub! Free E-C-Dub!"

The entire arena, with the exception of Gabe and William Regal, was chanting. William Regal rushed backstage, but Carrie saw him flash her an impressed grin and an approving thumbs up before he vanished completely from sight. The sound of the fans chanting for their shared goal was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard.

"That's right," Carrie said. "We _will_ free ECW! Let the Revolution begin!"


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

 _ **FELICIA**_

She wasn't surprised to see Abby's number on her phone. "It's a trap," Abby said without preamble. "WWE is trying to sign you guys so you can't join us."

"You heard," Felicia said.

"It's all over the dirtsheets."

"I know it's a trap, but Phil's so desperate to make some money and get us out of here... And it means so much to him, Abby."

"I know it does... But ECW means more."

"I heard you got fired from CHIKARA and Beyond."

"Just like Dad," Abby declared proudly. "They didn't like me starting a Free EC Dub chant anymore than Gabe did. ROH is next. With that, I'll break Dad's record."

"Have fun with that."

"I intend to." Abby paused. "Let me talk to Phil."

Felicia obediently fetched her brother. "Abby, Gorgeous! What can I do for you?" Phil asked. He paused. After a minute, he sighed. "I knew it was too good to be true... Okay, Abby... I'll do this... Because it's for ECW." He hung up.

"You were right, Leesh," Phil told her sadly. "The Dudleys got the same offer, and we know what happened with Carrie and Evan... They don't actually want us... They just don't want the indies to have us."

"I'm sorry, Phil... I wish I was wrong," Felicia replied.

Phil shrugged. "It was nice while it lasted, but I should have listened to you. WWE would never really want us... I'll call them and turn down the offer. I'm going for a walk first." He walked away. Phil often wandered the streets of Philly trying to collect his thoughts. He could be gone for hours.

A minute later, her father burst into the kitchen. "You turned down WWE?!" He demanded. "What did you _do_ , you stupid girl?" He slapped her.

Felicia flinched. "Dad... I'm sorry," she said. "It... It wasn't a legit offer."

"Useless girl! You wanna throw away _your_ shot, fine! But throwing your _brother's_ shot away? How _could_ you?" He shook her.

"Dad... Let me go," Felicia said softly. She was terrified, but if she fought, she knew he'd just hurt her worse.

"I'll teach you to be so stupid!" He shouted. His eyes were red. He was high as a kite. She'd never be able to reason with him.

"Daddy, please..."

He threw her against the wall. Felicia felt her head hit it hard. She could feel blood dripping down the side of her head. She struggled to remain standing. Her father hit her again. When she whimpered, he smashed her head against the wall deliberately. He did this several more times until she heard a horrified gasp from the doorway.

"Terry!" Her mother cried out.

"This doesn't concern you, Woman!" Her father shouted.

"Terry, please... She's hurt..."

"She's stupid, and useless, like her Goddamned _mother!_ Get out of here!" He turned around to grab her mother.

"No!" Felicia cried out. She was dizzy, but she didn't care. "Don't touch her!"

Her father's rage returned. "Shut up!" He screamed at her before he hit her head again. He turned back to her mother and slapped her hard. Her mother was crying. Felicia used the last of her strength to grab him and pull him off of her. He cursed and flung her across the room. She hit her head directly on the wall and everything turned bright red.

"Look what you made me do!" Her father shouted at her mother before Felicia blacked out.

 _ **CHRIS**_

 _Get Tommy!_ His father said urgently.

Chris was training when he heard this. Tommy was only a room away. _What's wrong?_ Chris asked.

 _Terry's gonna kill his kid! Get Tommy, right now! He has to go to her!_

 _Dad... What's going on?_

 _Felicia's hurt, Buddy. She's hurt_ bad _. She needs help. Tell Tommy he needs to go to Philly and get the kids._

 _Dad, I_ can't _just say that. He'll think I've lost it._

 _She'll_ die, _Chris. Terry will go back at her when she comes around. She's already seriously concussed. He'll kill her if he hits her again._

Chris could feel a panic attack coming on. Felicia was his friend, and his father was convinced her father was about to kill her. He had to do something, even if it put him back in the psych ward.

"Tommy!" Chris said as he ran to him.

"What's up, Kid?" Tommy asked with concern.

"You have to go to Sabu's house... Right now. It's Felicia. She's hurt."

"What happened? Did she call you?" Tommy looked appropriately alarmed

"No... I just _know_ , okay?"

"Chris..."

"Please, Tommy... She needs help."

"Chris, you need to breathe. Tell me why you're so sure Felicia's in trouble."

"Because my father told me!" Chris froze, realizing too late what he'd said.

Tommy looked sympathetic. "Chris, I know you miss him... I miss him, too-"

"I'm on my meds, okay? I know it sounds crazy, but please... _Please_ go to her. She's going to die, Tommy... If she's left there, he'll kill her."

"Who will?"

"Sabu... Terry... He did this. He beat the hell out of her. Please help her." Chris was in tears now.

Tommy hugged him. "Okay, Chris," he said gently. "I'll go check on the Brunks. You stay here with the girls."

"I'm coming with you," Briana said from the doorway.

"Bri-" Tommy objected.

"Look, if Felicia's in trouble, I want to help... And if she's not, you should have some company."

"I've got Chris," Kim promised.

Tommy nodded. "Okay," he said. "We'll be back in a bit."

Chris sat down. He was still trembling. "It's okay, Chrissy," Kim said as she wrapped her arms around him. He nodded, not sure what to say. Tommy probably thought he'd lost it, but at least he'd make sure Felicia was safe.

 _ **BRIANA**_

She'd known Chris had issues for years, but she liked to believe he wasn't crazy and his dad was still around. Still, she'd never seen him so scared before. She was very worried what they'd find at the Brunk house.

The Super Genie opened the door. She'd been pretty once, but the years had been unkind to her. Now, she had a black eye. Briana felt her father tense up.

"Tommy?" She asked in confusion.

"Where's Terry?" Her father demanded.

"He's resting... What are you doing here?"

"Let me in, Melissa."

"Now's not a good ti-"

"Melissa. Step aside."

Looking terrified, Melissa let them in. Her father walked straight to the kitchen. That was where they found a very bloody Felicia. The poor girl was trying to clean up the mess while still bleeding from her head.

"Shit," Briana cursed softly.

"I'm gonna kill him..." Her father mumbled. "Felicia, sweetheart, you don't need to do that."

"I... I made a mess... I _have_ to..." Felicia said frantically. She was stumbling.

"I think you're concussed," Briana said.

"Did your father do this?" Her dad asked.

"I... No," Felicia said too quickly.

"Tell me the truth, sweetheart."

"Yes," she whispered. She began to cry, then grabbed her head in pain.

"Briana, go up to her room. Pack the essentials."

"Pack?" Felicia asked.

"You're coming home with us. You _and_ Phil."

"He's out."

"Call him. Get him home. I'm taking you both with me." He began cleaning her head up. Felicia flinched away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart. I promise."

"I know," Felicia said. She was trembling, but she allowed him to help her. When she wasn't actively bleeding from her head anymore, Briana took her hand and led her upstairs to pack.

"Clothes, toiletries… Anything you absolutely can't live without. We can get the rest of the stuff later," Briana told her.

Felicia nodded. She began gathering things to pack. Briana made it all fit easily in a suitcase. She made sure Felicia's ring gear was included. Then she watched as Felicia began packing a backpack full of books.

"Textbooks? _Really_?" Briana asked.

"School's important to me, Bri… It's the one thing I have that's mine," Felicia said.

Briana stopped protesting. If textbooks truly comforted her friend, then they needed to come with them. It was hard for Briana to contain her rage, but she knew she had to. Felicia could be skittish on a good day. Tonight, she was terrified. Any hint of rage might send her into a panic attack.

"Leesh? What the fuck happened?" Phil called from down the hall. He came running toward her room.

"It's nothing," Felicia said quickly.

"Bull! He hit you again! Jeez, Leesh, _look_ at yourself!" Phil looked like he might hit someone. Briana shared his impulse.

"I'm okay, Phil… I'm alright…"

"Dad's bringing you guys home with us," Briana said.

"Yeah… Yeah, he texted me as much."

"He told me to call you…" Felicia said. "I… I meant to…"

"Shhh, Felicia, it's okay," Briana said gently.

"Mom's flipping out," Phil said. "She's hiding in a corner, terrified Tommy's gonna go wake up Dad."

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean for this to happen," Felicia apologized.

"Leeshee, stop it," Briana said. "You didn't do a damn thing wrong." She paused. "Do you need help packing, Phil?"

"Nah, I can pack quick. I just need ring gear, a few clean pieces of clothing, and some entertainment…"

"Phil… You're welcome in my home," her father said as he approached. "I love you kids, but there's one rule… No drugs."

"I-" Phil began.

"I know you're on them, Kid. It's okay. I get it. And if you need help, I'll get you some… But no drugs under my roof, alright? You can drink all you want, as long as you're not driving, but don't bring anything illegal into my house. Can you do that?"

Phil looked at Felicia. He sighed. "Yes," he said. "For my sister, I can agree to that much. It's the least I can do."

Felicia looked stunned. "Phil…" Her voice cracked.

"I love you, Leesh… And I can't keep sitting back and watching Dad hurt you… I… I just _can't._ So if that means I gotta sober up a little so Tommy Fucking Dreamer lets us live with him, then I just need to suck it up, cuz we ain't gonna get a better offer than _that_!"

Briana was impressed. She'd been pretty sure Phil wouldn't choose _anything_ over getting high, even his sister. His father certainly didn't.

Fifteen minutes later, they were packed and ready to go. "Tommy, please… Don't take them," Melissa begged. "They're my babies!"

"They're adults, and they're not safe here, Melissa," Briana's father said. "I'm sorry. I know you love them, but until you get your act together and walk away from this prick, I can't leave them here."

"The fuck is happening?" A very wasted Terry Brunk called toward the door. He stumbled toward them. "Tommy? Tommy! What's up, Brother?" Terry went to hug her father.

"What's _up_ is you fucking beat the crap out of your daughter, _and_ your wife, you son of a bitch!" Her father said.

"Tommy, you don't know what happened-"

"I know _exactly_ what happened, and you're not touching her ever again." He stood firmly between Terry and Felicia. "Briana, take the twins and get in the car."

Briana did as she was told, knowing this wasn't the time to fight. She watched as her father tried to talk Terry down before he finally had to throw a punch to make his point. Melissa fussed over her husband as Briana's father came back to the car and turned the key.

"What happens now?" Phil asked.

"Now, you guys bunk with us until you can get on your own two feet," her father replied.

"Felicia can take the spare room. Phil, you're on the couch," Briana told him.

"Can't I bunk with one of you?" Phil joked.

"Dream on, Dude." She smiled. Phil might be an asshole sometimes, but tonight, he'd done the right thing, and she was proud of him. As they drove back home, Briana turned on the radio to drown out the silence. Phil randomly contributed awkward comments, but other than that, the only sound was that of Felicia's quiet sobbing.

 _ **KIM**_

By the time everyone got back to their house, Kim was frantic. Her father had taken Felicia to the hospital, and Phil and Briana had refused to leave her side. After she was officially diagnosed with a severe concussion, they'd come home.

Chris was curled up in Kim's bed with her. There was nothing romantic about it. Chris was like her brother, and he needed comforting. Instead of sending him home or back to his mother, Kim had invited him to crash for the night like when they were kids.

"She can sleep, but only if she's supervised," Briana told her.

"We can do it in shifts," Kim replied.

"Felicia, are you okay?" Chris asked frantically.

"I'm fine," she replied automatically.

"Where do I sleep?" Phil asked.

"The couch," Kim replied.

"How come Chrissy-Boy gets to sleep with you?"

"He's not going to try to get in her pants while she's asleep," Briana said. "Quit whining. You have a comfy couch to sleep on and Mom's cooking."

Phil perked up. "Trisa cooks?"

"The finest hot dogs in all of Yonkers," her mom said with a grin. "Kidding. I can make you something better than that."

"Hey, hot dogs are awesome," Phil said. "I'll eat anything."

"Or any _one_ ," Briana joked.

" _So_ not appropriate, Bri," Kim said with a giggle.

After their mother fed everyone, they decided to get some rest. Briana took the first shift with Felicia. Kim curled up in bed with Chris. "Are you okay?" She asked him softly.

"Yeah," Chris replied. "I'm just glad your dad got there in time."

"Chris… This is all horrible, but one good thing came from it."

"What good could possibly have come from all of that?"

"You were _right,_ Chris. About all of it… That means your dad's really talking to you. You're not… Um…"

"Crazy?"

"I've never called you that."

"That's because you're too nice." He smiled sadly. "He's _always_ talked to me, Kim… Ever since we lost him… But apparently, that's not normal, so I must be nuts."

"But you were right. You couldn't have known all of that unless you were really hearing him."

"I never doubted that I really hear him, Kim… Everyone _else_ did."

"If you knew you weren't insane, why did you keep taking the pills?"

"Because crazy people don't know they're crazy, Kim…" He sighed. "And no one believed me."

" _I_ believe you."

He looked at her with those sad, vulnerable eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "For saying that."

"It's the truth," she promised. She hugged him. They didn't say anything else as they drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 _ **ARTIE**_

It wasn't the first time he'd found himself in the bathroom of a gay club with some guy he'd just met, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Artie had never quite figured out how to have a relationship while living so deep in the closet he expected to find _Narnia_ any minute, but he was the master of hook-ups in inappropriate places.

"Mmm, you're a good little bitch, _aren't_ you?" Mike (Or had it been Matt?) asked him.

Artie gave the expected response before letting out a startled cry as... _Mark?_ got more aggressive. It was a thin line between pleasure and pain, and Artie had been walking it ever since he turned eighteen and could get into these places legally. He'd never been the fake ID sort, and prior to that, he'd still been trying to convince himself he was straight.

When he was done with Artie, the guy whose name _probably_ started with an M spanked his ass once before heading out of the bathroom. He didn't even wait for Artie to pull his pants up.

He'd hoped a night of meaningless sex might distract him, but it hadn't helped. He found himself struggling to catch his breath as he cleaned himself up and pulled his pants back on. He stared at his reflection in the slightly dirty mirror and sighed.

 _This can't be your life,_ he thought. It couldn't be this way forever, right? Eventually, he'd find someone... Some guy who could live with him even though he was a mess... Or maybe a woman he might actually be able to find attractive.

His eyes caught a glimpse of his arm as his long-sleeved t-shirt rode up. He stared at the scar on his wrist and tried not to flash back on the day he'd put it there. It had only been a little over a year ago. He'd finally decided he couldn't take the constant loneliness and pain anymore, and he'd gone into the bathroom and slit his wrist. He'd been about to go for the other one when Craig had called him. Realizing how much of a mistake he'd made, Artie had tearfully told Craig what he'd done. Within minutes, paramedics had arrived, saved his life, and rushed him to the hospital. He'd spent the next thirty days of his life in their psych ward before being discharged.

 _Don't ever go back there,_ he told himself. He needed to get his head on straight. He couldn't let himself fall apart like that.

With the last shred of his dignity, Artie held his head high and walked out of the bathroom. No one seemed to notice him. That was the story of his life.

 _ **TURNER**_

His car was a piece of shit, but it generally got him from Point A to Point B without too much of a protest. Today, however, as he was driving around Philly just for the hell of it, the car stalled and died. Turner looked up at the nearest building and said, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

He knew the building, of course. It was the historic ECW Arena, now known simply as the 2300 Arena. There were a lot of people hanging around. Ring of Honor was running a show that night. Turner looked around, hoping to spot someone he knew. His prayers were answered when he saw Lio Rush. Lio had done a lot of time in CZW and although he was no longer officially on the ROH roster, he often went back.

"Lio! Shit, man, I'm glad to see you!" Turner said.

"Hey, Man, what's up?" Lio asked, shaking his hand in greeting.

"My car's dead."

"Hell of a place to break down..."

"Seriously."

"You should come to the show."

"I gotta fix my car."

"I guarantee someone here can fix a car... But you breaking down right outside is a sign."

Turner supposed he was right. "You guys need any help?"

"Sure. The ring just got here. Wanna help us set up?"

"You still set up rings? Haven't you finished paying your dues?"

"You're never really finished... And building rings keeps me humble."

"Fair enough." Lio helped Turner push his car into the back parking lot of the Arena before they headed inside.

"I brought y'all two more hands," Lio said. No one questioned the help. "Do you have your ring gear?" He asked.

"Always. I don't go anywhere without it."

"Indy life," Lio said with a laugh. It was true. You never knew when someone would need an extra wrestler to fill in because of injury or whatever else came up.

A strange feeling came over Turner as he stepped inside the Arena with a board. He'd been there before, to watch House of Hardcore, but he'd never been backstage. It was different.

 _This was your father's playground,_ he thought. It was strangely cool to be there, in that sacred place. His father had walked this ground. He'd likely built a ring in this very space... He'd run ropes here, trained here, wrestled and bled here... And now, for the first time ever, Turner had a behind-the-scenes view.

"Are you okay?" Lio asked as Turner slid the board into place on autopilot.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... Yeah, I'm fine," Turner replied.

"Everyone... BASK IN MY GLORY!" A very large and cheerful man said as he entered the Arena.

"Oh my God! It burns! You've blinded me!" A girl cried out. Turner recognized her as Abby Styles. They'd met in passing, but he didn't know her well. He was a huge fan of her father's, however.

"Oh no, Baby, don't you bask too hard now," the man said cheerfully. He hugged her and she kissed his cheek in greeting. Turner recognized him as he smiled at Abby. His name was Keith Lee, and he'd been screaming his catchphrase as he entered. "Lio! Get in on this!" He called him over.

Lio obediently walked over to them, hugging his old friend. Turner followed him, mainly because they were working together as they brought boards in.

"Who's your friend?" Keith asked.

"This is Turner... He's a Hyde guy," Lio explained.

"Ring name?" Keith prompted.

"Mr. Knight," Turner replied, shaking his hand.

"Oh yeah, I saw your match at Tangled Web last year. That was some crazy shit!"

Turner was surprised someone as successful as Keith knew who he was. He smiled. "Well, a ring of death's nothing compared to you and your glory," he said smoothly.

Keith laughed. "I like this kid. You guys need any help?"

"I was about to ask the same thing." Abby said.

"You're a commentator. You build rings?" Turner asked in surprise.

"You'd be surprised what I do, Turner," Abby replied mysteriously.

"Abby's a Jane of all trades," someone said from behind them.

"Matt," Turner said, recognizing Matt Taven. They'd met a couple of times. "Who else is on the card tonight?"

"The Elite, the rest of the Kingdom, Jay Lethal, Bully Ray, and some surprises. Good to see you, Turner."

"I just happened to break down outside... My car's dead."

"I can help with that," Abby said.

"See what I mean?" Matt joked.

"Go help my boy," Lio said. "Keith can take his place."

Turner shrugged. Abby Styles was the last person he expected to help, but if she could pull it off, great. He popped his hood. Abby frowned.

"What, exactly, happened?" She asked.

"The engine stalled, and now it won't turn over," Turner replied.

Abby leaned under the hood. Turner tried not to stare at her ass, but it wasn't easy. She began playing around with something. Then she looked up at him.

Turner averted his eyes quickly. "It's your starter. I can fix it if we go get the part." She paused. "Did you get a nice look?" Turner turned away in embarassment. "Keep it in your pants, Turner. But relax... I can fix it."

"Really?"

She shrugged. "A girl needs hobbies. Come on. I know a place." She led him to her car and they drove off. Ten minutes later, a guy said, "Three hundred."

"Outrageous!" Abby declared. "You're not even installing it."

"That's the price," the guy said firmly.

"Really? Come on, Brad," she said, reading his name tag. "I think we can do better than that, don't you?"

"Two fifty, since you're installing it yourselves."

"Now, Brad, that's not very fair, is it? The part isn't worth nearly that much."

"Two hundred. That's my final offer."

"Of course it is... Unless you realize that you can go a bit lower. I mean, you seem like a reasonable man, and two hundred is still outrageous!"

"I... One-seventy-five, okay?"

"Well, that _would_ be okay, if I was born yesterday. But Brad, my friend, I was _not!_ And I know you can do better. We're famous, you know. He's a wrestler, and I'm the very infamous daughter of Joey Styles, from ECW."

"I don't watch wrestling."

"I'll forgive you for that... But Brad, my social media accounts reach literally _millions_ of people daily, and I'd love to give you guys a glowing review, but-"

"One hundred! Just take it!"

"I'll tell you what... This is all I have on me. You can have it." The very confused man blinked as Abby handed him Turner's last fifty dollars and walked away with the part in her hands.

"Impressive," Turner said.

"What can I say? I'm very convincing," Abby said with a laugh. She proceeded to drive them back to the Arena. He watched her work, fascinated at how confidently she moved around his engine. In just over an hour, Abby had replaced the starter and closed the hood. "Try it now," Abby said.

He turned the key and his car turned over. "You're amazing," Turner informed her.

"This is nothing. You should see me rebuild an engine." She smiled at him, then looked at her watch. "I'd better go get ready. The show starts in under an hour."

"Thank you, Abby. Seriously, you saved my ass."

"No problem." She headed inside. Turner followed her until she went upstairs to the locker room. He walked out toward the ring.

"Fuck!" Someone cried out as he fell off the ropes and landed badly. Turner recognized him as one of the newer ROH guys.

"You okay, Petey?" Keith asked.

"I think I broke my fucking ankle," Petey mumbled.

Matt reached his side first. "That looks bad," he agreed. Turner could see that his ankle was already badly swollen and not quite in the right spot.

"I'll call an ambulance," A kid Turner knew only as Spike Dudley's son said. He ran off to do that.

"Who's gonna sub in for our match?" Keith asked.

"What's the match?" Turner asked.

"It was me, Lio, and Petey against Bubba, Devon's kid Craig, and Spike's son, Artie, the guy who just ran to call 911."

"Turner could do it," Lio suggested.

Turner stared at him. Sure, he had his gear, but this was Ring of Honor. It was huge. He'd never wrestled for a promotion quite that famous.

"Well, my ass is going through a table tonight," Keith said with a laugh. "You wanna join me?"

"Hell yeah," Turner found himself saying. How could he pass up wrestling in the very Arena his father had called home? He didn't believe in destiny, but he suddenly wondered if the universe or whatever had made his car break down where it had just so he'd be able to have this experience.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She really hated Ring of Honor. It wasn't that she didn't love watching it, but they never had many opportunities for women. Today, they'd offered Markie a role as a valet to her father and her tag partners. She'd not-so-politely refused. There was no way in Hell Markie would ever play a valet. Instead, she had helped set up the ring and she would not be working that night.

"I need caffeine," she decided aloud. She walked to the concession stand and ordered three Cokes to tide her over.

A bouncy song came on and her mood instantly lifted as two voices began singing along at the top of their lungs.

 _"Mmmbop! Daba doooo bop..."_ They declared. _"Doobie da ba dooo bop... Daba dooo... Yeah-eee-yeah... Mmmbop! Da ba dooo bop... Doobie da ba dooo bop... Daba dooo..."_

"My dorks!" Markie cried out. She flung her arms around the Young Bucks after carefully putting her soda cans in her bag.

"The Dudley Girl!" Nick Jackson/Massie greeted her enthusiastically.

"Long time no see, Markie," his brother Matt added.

"You know doors were supposed to open twenty minutes ago, right?" Markie teased them.

"Indy Standard Time!" Matt replied.

"Hey, for us, this is downright early!" Nick added.

"Stupid Philly airport..." Matt said. "We're cursed. We always have trouble when we come through here."

"Let's set up quick," Nick said. "Before the Philly crowd tries to murder us." They headed to their merch table.

"Do you guys need someone to work the table during the show?" Markie asked.

"Bored already?" Matt asked.

"Same old sexist BS. So I'm not working tonight."

"Sure. Do you need us to pay you?"

"Keep me in a steady supply of caffeine and we're good."

"That's fair," Nick said. Markie was relieved to have a job for the night. Helping the Bucks might ease her annoyance a bit.

 _ **CRAIG**_

He was excited for this match. Craig had worked ROH before, but he'd never gotten in the ring with Keith Lee. As a kid, Craig had idolized him. It was surreal to be facing him in a match. He knew Artie felt the same way about the high-flying Lio Rush. It was going to be a fun night.

They entered to the old 3D music. Mark still had the same enthusiasm for wrestling he'd always had, but Craig and Artie's fathers had both stopped wrestling. His dad still worked behind-the-scenes at WWE sometimes and enjoyed training the next generation, but he hadn't wrestled in years. Aside from one or two quick spots at HoH several years ago, Artie's father hadn't stepped into a ring in ages. As a result of this, Mark often asked Craig and Artie to tag with him. If he could pull it off, he had Markie on their team, too, but at promotions that banned intergender matches, Markie was often forced to play their manager. She was good at that, and she usually still got moves in, but ROH had wanted her to strictly play a valet. The very concept of being arm candy offended Markie, so she'd turned them down. Instead, it was Jamie who came out with them on Mark's arm. The fans popped as Jamie shook her butt and showed off her still-perfect body. Although she'd traded in her Beautiful People look for that of a punk rock biker, she still played up the flirtation when she played valet.

The other team came out to Keith Lee's music. Jamie plastered on her bitchiest face, which always amused Craig. She was probably the sweetest woman he'd ever met. Still, as Keith, Lio, and the replacement walked in, she stared them down.

The bell rang and the match began. Keith and Mark started. Craig watched as they grappled for a minute before Keith showed dominance and knocked Mark to the mat. He stared down at him and shouted, "Bask in my glory!" Mark responded by hitting him right in the nuts. Keith squeaked out, "Bask!" Then sank to his knees.

Mark tagged in Artie as Lio reached out to tag in. Keith crawled to him, finally reaching him. Lio flew in quickly, running straight at Artie. He hit him with a clothesline before climbing up onto the ropes. Artie reacted quickly, knocking Lio onto them, effectively nutting him, too.

Craig looked at the other wrestler... He vaguely recalled Lio calling him Turner... He knew where this spot was heading. Craig let Artie tag him in as Lio tagged in Turner. He dove under the ring, grabbing a chair, which Craig hadn't expected.

"Use it," Turner mouthed as they played tug-of-war over the chair. "I can take it. I'm hardcore."

Petey hadn't been, and originally, the spot had called for Craig to knee Petey in the groin while Jamie distracted the referee, but this could be better. Craig shrugged. As Jamie distracted the referee, Craig got the chair away from Turner and hit him on his back. Turner hit the mat and subtly nodded. Craig rolled with it, slamming the chair onto Turner's crotch. He covered him as the referee turned around.

Turner kicked out right before three. Craig gave him some space as he tagged in Mark. He watched Mark grab the chair and hit Keith, knocking him off the apron before Turner could tag him. Mark and Turner went back and forth for a bit before Turner pinned him. Artie did a beautiful splash off of the ropes and broke up the pin. He and Artie dragged Mark to the corner before Artie tagged himself in.

Lio tagged back in. For a few minutes, they threw every flying move they had at each other. It was incredible to watch. Artie didn't give himself enough credit, but he was an amazing flyer. When Lio finally tagged in Keith, Artie ran to tag Craig.

Although they were both big guys, Keith and Craig were very agile in the ring. They moved quickly and kept the pace up until Craig got pinned. Mark jumped in to break it up. A minute later, Craig tagged him in. Mark got Keith on his back, then shoved Craig.

"Lil' Devon! Get the table!" He shouted. Mark usually called him that in matches.

Craig dove under the ring and brought out the table. Together, he and Mark put Keith through the table as Jamie and Artie cheered them on. Mark covered Keith and got the pin.

As Jamie and Artie joined them in the ring, their hands were raised in victory. Craig and Artie shared a glance, knowing what was about to come.

 _ **ABBY**_

She stood, ready. Quickly, Abby walked to the ring. "Everyone, you have just witnessed _quality_ wrestling! Unfortunately, someone wishes to hide talent like this away... We are here to demand that WWE sit up and listen! A certain former pageant boy who shall remain nameless made a promise and went back on it. Now, you need to be true to your word and... Free E-C-Dub!" She shouted. Craig and Artie immediately joined in. So did Mark and Jamie. Soon, Keith and Lio shrugged and joined the chant along with the fans. Turner joined in, too. Markie ran to the ring and joined in louder than anyone.

Dan, one of the senior members of the company, came out. "I know, I know... I'm fired," Abby said into her microphone.

"Fired? No, Abby. You're not fired," he said. "In fact, I'm just here to say that we stand with you, in the very arena where ECW changed the world of wrestling forever." He joined in the chant. Every screen in the arena lit up with _Free-E-C-W!_ The entire locker room came out, clapping and chanting along with the crowd.

Abby stared at them in shock. This was really happening. "Every company out there is afraid to piss off the WWE," Matt of the Young Bucks said into a microphone.

"It's about time someone stood up for the little guy!" Nick added.

"We applaud you!" Kenny Omega added. "And we'll fight beside you!"

For several minutes, the arena was filled with nothing but their battle cry. This was huge. Finally, they had some support!

When they made it backstage, Abby checked her phone and immediately saw a tweet from Matt Hardy. She opened it and saw it was a short video. Matt and Jeff stood side-by-side. Jeff was silent. Matt smiled and said, "My most stylish Abigail! May I simply say that your display at the honorable ring tonight was positively _delightful!"_ He paused. "Perhaps soon, the Championship Wrestling that is purely Extreme shall be freed from its unjust imprisonment! May the Seven Deities be with you now, as ECW enters the lake of reincarnation. I cannot _wait_ to see what emerges!" Jeff gave a thumbs up and grinned at the camera before the video cut off. She immediately retweeted it and saw Markie, Craig, and Artie following her lead.

"Did that just happen?" Markie asked.

"Amen, Brothers," Mark said as he tweeted the comment to them and also hit to retweet the video.

The Hardys were under a semi-strict contract with WWE. They weren't supposed to speak out like this... But in a gloriously _Broken_ way, they'd done just that. Abby saw another tweet, this one from Matt's wife Reby, which said simply, "Fuck that pageant boy!"

Abby grinned and tweeted her back, "May he go the way of the obsolete owl!"

In that moment, Abby knew there was no turning back. One way or another, everything was about to change.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

 _ **CARRIE**_

Not one to be topped, Carrie appeared on Sam Roberts' podcast the morning after Ring of Honor took a stand and joined their fight. She'd left Evan at home. This interview needed to be one-on-one. She was counting on the intimacy to make people pay attention.

"Let me explain something to you, Sam," Carrie said. "The WWE is infamous for trying to destroy other companies. They say they support the indies, but when it comes down to it, what they do is destroy smaller promotions they view as a threat. It started with WCW. They weren't some tiny indy that only a couple hundred people knew about. They were huge… So they went to war with the WWF. As everyone knows, the McMahons won that fight." She paused. "They recruited several of their roster members. They brought in their titles. It seemed like they might honor what WCW had been… Until they didn't. They slowly phased out all of their titles. They either changed or humiliated their wrestlers… They took iconic characters and made half of them into jokes."

"Yeah, WWF won the Monday Night War," Sam agreed.

"The next major move they made was to come after my father, Paul Heyman's company. ECW was as indy as it gets, and they had one of the most loyal groups of fans out there. That's why the McMahons decided they had to destroy it… So they offered him money when he needed it the most, and they promised him the world. Although he regrets his decision now, he agreed, and WWE took over. Suddenly, ECW was their C show. It was the punchline. It was the brand guys got drafted to when they sucked or didn't have enough fans. Slowly but surely, they cut back on the violence… They cut back on the extreme culture that made ECW what it was… They destroyed classic characters, watering them down or making them so ridiculous, no one ever respected the wrestlers again."

"But the McMahons made some of those guys even more famous," Sam argued. "Look at the Dudleys. One could argue that their time in WWE is what made their careers."

"Yes, but every time they brought them back to the company, it was because they were doing too well on the indies… The second they were back under WWE's control, they made them into jobbers."

"Fair point."

"When Triple H took an interest in the indies, he started stripping them of their best talent. He dragged half of them into the Cruiserweight division, where they were just random faces. Only a core group got real acknowledgements, and the rest were just sort of there. He stole talent from CZW, from ROH, and especially from EVOLVE, and he promised them the world if they'd just join his roster… Then, he buried most of them."

"With that shovel of his."

"Exactly." She paused, then began speaking very deliberately. "I want to send a message to the amazing talent out there on the indies… WWE will promise you everything you've ever dreamed of, but as soon as you sign, they'll use you… They'll literally drain the life out of you, using up every ounce of what makes you awesome. They will chew you up and then spit you out and throw you away like garbage… But that's not how _I_ roll. Once you're a part of me, you'll stay with me forever. I'll never spit you out because, baby, I _swallow_!"

Almost immediately, this interview and that single phrase had spawned a movement. Within the hour, the top hashtag on Twitter was "Carrie Swallows." She was perfectly okay with this.

Her father, Paul Heyman, was not. "Carrie Heyman! What the hell are you trying to do to me?" He demanded when she answered her phone.

"Hi, Daddy," she said sweetly.

"Don't you 'hi, daddy' me! Carrie Swallows? _Really?_ Is _that_ how you want to be known?"

"Everyone sexualizes me anyway, Dad. I'm a female wrestler. So why not use that to my advantage? It's catchy. It's easy to chant. It'll look awesome on a t-shirt."

"You wouldn't…"

"I already submitted a design to Pro Wrestling Tees."

"Carrie!" He sounded horrified.

"ECW is important to me, Daddy… Because it's important to _you._ And I was just in character… This is who I am in the ring." She paused. "It's a great marketing technique… I learned those from you… And you know I'm right."

He sighed. "You'll definitely sell a lot of t-shirts…"

She nearly offered to send him one, but thought better of it. That might actually be going _slightly_ too far. "I love you, Daddy," she said instead.

"Yeah, yeah… I love you, too… Just try not to kill me today, okay?"

"I'll do my best." She hung up, pleased with herself. The _Carrie Swallows_ t-shirts had the _Free-E-C-W_ hashtag in huge letters on the back. She knew how to work a crowd and get a reaction, and this was exactly the sort of thing they needed to take their fight to the next level. Public pressure was their best friend right now, and the more people they got behind them, the better.

 _ **VINNY**_

He was laughing as the podcast ended. "Carrie swallows… She _would_ go there," he said aloud. It was genius, really. Carrie knew how to work the marks. They'd all go crazy for a catchphrase like that.

"Your break ended ten minutes ago," Sabrina, his manager, said with a scowl.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "Family drama."

"Whatever. Just hurry up and handle that customer, okay?" She pointed to an annoyed-looking woman who stood at the counter.

Vinny embraced the "cover identity" he liked to hide behind. By day, he was a very ordinary yet exceptionally gifted personal trainer at a small local gym. At night, he trained as a professional wrestler, and every weekend, he wrestled on various shows under his secret identity of Mania. It wasn't always an easy transition to go from teaching middle aged women how to handle Leg Day to beating the crap out of whatever random guy he was wrestling that night, but he managed well enough.

"What can I do for you today, Miriam?" He asked the woman.

"I need to see Juan. Is he here?" Miriam asked in near-desperation.

"Juan's home with the flu, but your routine is right here in this chart."

"But Juan knows how to take care of me… He's the only one I work with."

Vinny vaguely wondered if she meant that in a way that wasn't so innocent. "I'd be happy to help you get through your workout today," he said patiently. He flashed her a winning smile.

Miriam relaxed slightly. "Okay… Okay, I guess… You look familiar, you know."

"Do I? That's funny," he said.

"Wait… Didn't I see you on WWE once?" She asked. "Manic, right? No, wait, that was that BJ Perkins guy."

"TJ," Vinny corrected her automatically. "His name is _TJ_ Perkins."

"Right, right… But it was something like that… Mania? Yeah, that's it! You're Mania!"

"I think you have me mixed up with someone else," he said smoothly.

"No, I'm sure I'm right. You look just like him."

"I have a doppleganger! I need to tell the world!" He said.

"But… I'm serious. You're him, right?"

"My name is Vinny, Miriam. I'm just a personal trainer."

"But I _saw_ you…"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

After that, he ignored her, knowing once he threw her routine at her, she'd stop asking questions. "Let's start with some stretching," he said as he led her to the workout area. Sure enough, within two minutes, she forgot that she thought she recognized him. It was easy to hide in plain sight if you knew what you were doing.

 _ **PHIL**_

He was sitting on Tommy and Trisa's couch with Felicia beside him. She had absolutely refused to press charges against their father. Tommy had apparently decided fighting with her wasn't worth it. Now, they were passing a huge bowl of popcorn between themselves and Kim and Briana as they watched RAW.

"Do you think they'll address what happened at Ring of Honor?" Kim asked.

"Nah. They have to play it cool," Phil said. "If they address it, they'll just fuel the fire Abby started."

"Carrie took it to the next level, too," Briana said. "Carrie Swallows… Oh Lord, somewhere, Paul Heyman's having a heart attack over that one!"

Felicia was silent. She hadn't said much since they'd gotten to the Laughlin house. Phil was worried about her, but he knew she wouldn't talk about it until she was ready to.

RAW was fairly uneventful at first. Nothing stood out. Phil tried to ignore the ache in his chest. He'd almost made it to WWE… But it had all been a lie. Just like everything else in his life, it had been too good to be true.

 _Man, I need to be wasted right now,_ he thought. If he could just get a little bit fucked-up, he'd feel better… Or he'd stop feeling all together. Either option worked for him. He hadn't realized how much he'd been clinging to the hope Hyde's call had given him. He desperately wanted to escape from his father's reputation. Sure, people loved what Sabu had been able to do in the ring, but several promotors had made it clear to the rest of the wrestling world that his father was a hopeless drug addict who fucked up matches and was occasionally downright rude to fans. His mother went to all of his signings with him, and she usually did most of the talking. That was all well and good, until his father decided someone was too friendly with her. Then, he'd either flip out on the person or he'd take it out on her later. Too many times, Phil had found his mother bruised or bloody after his father flew into a rage.

 _Why'd she stay with him?_ He wondered. His mom was smart. Like, _Felicia_ smart. She had multiple impressive degrees. She'd worked hard to prove she could hang with any intellectual who wanted to talk to her. Instead of using her degrees to do something related to them, she'd ended up a manager to a homicidal, genocidal wrestler. They'd fallen in love, and the rest was history. They were almost cute together sometimes, until his father called her stupid or useless or raised his hands to her. His mother used to smile, but she didn't do that very often anymore. It bothered Phil.

He needed to escape from that house… And his sister was basically just his father's slave. He ordered her around, he beat her up, he talked to her like she was useless, and he offered her up as payment when things got really bad with his dealers. Phil knew he had to rescue Felicia, but how could he do that? He couldn't even take care of himself.

WWE had seemed like the perfect answer. The work was steady, the money was good, and they'd never tolerate one of their girls coming in bruised all the time, so their father wouldn't be able to hurt Felicia anymore. Unfortunately, it had become clear that WWE didn't give a damn about them. He'd wanted to believe so badly, but it had been stupid. He hated himself for it. He wanted to shoot up or drop acid or at least get seriously drunk, but he simply sat on the couch glaring at the television instead.

"Fuck them," he mumbled. "I don't need 'em…"

"You're too good for their PG Era bullshit," Briana agreed, causing him to realize he'd spoken aloud.

"I just… I wish it didn't bother me," he admitted.

"I'm sorry," Felicia said softly.

"Leesh, stop. You were just smart enough to see through their lies," he insisted. "I'm glad one of us was."

"Hey, look at that sign!" Kim said, pointing to the television.

The camera quickly panned away, but Phil caught the "Free ECW!" sign. He smiled. "Awesome," he said.

As soon as it was out of sight, another one shot up. Security grabbed the sign and the camera hurried away. Another sign appeared. They were all over the arena, carefully hidden by the fans until they knew they could get on camera.

"Dude, it's working!" Briana declared. "The signs are the first part of the public pressure growing." The show abruptly went to commercial. " _See_? They just had to cut to a commercial to handle the rebellion!"

"Do you think we can really pull this off?" Kim asked.

"We will," Phil said confidently. He didn't know how they'd do it, but he was determined. WWE had humiliated him and Felicia with their offer. He wouldn't just sit back and take that.

 _ **EVAN**_

The entire family sat nervously around the television, waiting for some sign of how WWE was reacting to the Ring of Honor event or Carrie's podcast. There had been nothing yet, except for some signs bearing their hashtag.

"Look!" Carrie cried out. "A Carrie Swallows sign!"

Evan laughed as he looked at it. A cartoon version of his sister holding her whip showed Carrie opening her mouth wide and swallowing the WWE logo. "That's awesome," he said.

His father looked like he was torn between being horrified by the phrasing and impressed that Carrie's message had already traveled all the way to the top. "When you're right, you're right," he said simply. "It's good marketing."

No matter how many signs security confiscated, more popped up. It didn't surprise Evan at all. Once Ring of Honor had stood with them, everyone started paying attention. Although several promotions had tried to shame their efforts in an attempt to suck up to WWE, many more had jumped on board with them. Every hour, another promotor declared a side. If ROH could stand with a bunch of misfit ECW legacies, why couldn't they? As a result, the support was overwhelming.

Several times during RAW, with the undying enthusiasm of the strongest CM Punk chants combined with a wave of YES chants, the fans began to chant "Free E-C-Dub!" Every time, security broke the chants up, even tossing people out for having signs, but another chant would just start somewhere else a few minutes later.

Finally, the crowd focused as Dean Ambrose entered. Finn Balor was already in the ring. As Dean's music stopped, he greeted the crowd by raising up his hands… And the words "FREE ECW" were clearly visible on his arms.

Carrie let out a scream of shock as Evan exclaimed, "Holy shit!"

Carrie's phone immediately rang and she put it on speaker as Abby's voice cried out, "OH MY GOD! Are you _seeing_ this?"

Suddenly, Finn Balor removed his jacket. On his back, someone had written "FREE ECW!"

Abby shouted, "Oh my _God,_ guys!"

Evan's father whistled. "They're going to get into a lot of trouble for that," he said. He sounded deeply impressed.

Suddenly, music began to fill the arena. "Hey, wait a minute…" Carrie said.

"That's…" Evan began.

"Sandman!" Abby shouted as it became clear _Enter Sandman_ was playing on the television.

 _ **LUKE**_

He spit the beer he'd been chugging at his TV. Why was the entrance music he proudly shared with his father playing on a WWE show? Luke was suddenly very confused.

Suddenly, his father appeared, stumbling through the crowd with beer in his hands. He began tossing cans to fans as he made his way toward the ring. Everyone was screaming, going insane at his entrance. Security seemed genuinely confused about whether or not this was supposed to be happening.

Dean Ambrose sat in the ring smirking. He began bopping along to the song, and started singing. Finn Balor seemed to enjoy these antics and joined in. As Luke watched his father stumble toward the ring, kendo stick in one hand and beer in the other, he stood up on the couch, unable to believe his eyes.

"Dude!" Aiden cried out. He had befriended Luke years before and they often watched WWE together when they had nothing better to do. "That's your _father,_ man!"

"Yes it is," Luke confirmed. "You know, when Dad said he needed to go do something tonight, _this_ never crossed my mind."

"What's he doing?"

"I'm not totally sure…" That was an excellent question. Knowing his dad, it could be anything.

Security struggled to grab him, but he easily avoided them, stumbling away until he successfully climbed into the ring. He got up on the top rope, stumbled a bit, then passed beer to Finn and Dean, who raised their cans in appreciation before each taking a healthy swig.

His father started partying with his new friends in the ring. The music seemed to be looped, and the fans kept singing along, loving every second of it. Finally, Triple H ran to the ring.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He demanded.

"I guess it wasn't scripted," Luke said.

"Your dad's awesome, man," Aiden informed him. Luke nodded, still too confused to say much else.

"Have a beer and relax, Hunter!" His father shouted, tossing an open beer at Triple H. It hit him in the head. Its contents splashed all over his face and ran down his cheeks until they landed on his formerly clean grey suit.

"Nice!" Aiden said.

"Good toss," Luke agreed.

"Security!" Triple H shouted.

He could barely be heard over the crowd as they screamed, _"Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight! Exit light! Enter night! Take my hand! We're off to Never Neverland!"_

Finally, police officers ran into the ring. "Indy guys?" Aiden asked.

"I don't think so," Luke said. "Those are _real cops,_ man."

Dean and Finn stepped out of the way, not helping the police but not stopping them either. Luke knew there was only so much they could do. He noticed Dean subtly kicking a microphone toward his father. He picked it up and shouted, "Free E-C-Dub! Free E-C-Dub!" He paused, looked at the cops, and shouted, "You'll never silence us, Mother Fuckers!" The tech guys bleeped it out one second too late, just as he flipped off the camera before the officers restrained him.

"Hmmm…" Aiden said thoughtfully. "Luke, I think your dad's going to need bail money."

Luke pulled out his cell phone and dialed the first number he thought of. "Um… Tommy?" He began.

"I know. I saw. I'm on my way," Tommy replied. Then he mumbled, "Crazy son of a bitch…"

Luke swore he heard the slightest hint of laughter in Tommy's voice. "They're in New Jersey," he told him.

"I've got him, Kid. Don't worry."

Luke hung up, confident Tommy would get his father out of trouble. It wasn't the first time his dad had gotten arrested, but Luke was pretty sure it was the first time he'd managed to do it on live television. He was pretty impressed.

 _Life Goals,_ he decided. His dad had just crashed a live WWE broadcast and taken over. Nothing screamed _Damn the Man_ quite like tossing beer all over the guys who wore the suits. The fact that the entire arena had gotten behind him only furthered the moment. Luke officially had the coolest father on the planet.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 _ **CRAIG**_

He was still in shock. Not only had their message gone straight to the top, but the Sandman had actually hijacked RAW. "What I'm dying to know is how Jim got in... And who looped his music?" Jamie wondered aloud.

"He's the Sandman," Mark said with a shrug. "How does he do _half_ of the things he does? I've learned not to question him."

Craig's father let out a laugh. "Maybe he just knows someone with the cell phone numbers of every official in WWE," he said mysteriously.

"Dad?" Craig asked.

"I may have called in a couple of favors."

"Devon, you rock!" Markie declared.

"As it turns out, the head of WWE Security is a huge ECW fan, and the guy in charge of music and sound is terrified of pissing off a certain WWE official who told him quite... _Regally_ that looping a certain Metallica song might make for better television than whatever Creative had scripted for the night."

"Wait... William Regal's on our side?" Artie asked in shock.

"He can't officially say that... But he believes in the cause, and he admires the determination of you kids."

"This is amazing!" Markie said. "If things keep going this way, we'll get the rights back in no time!"

"Slow down, Kid," Mark said. "This is still going to be an uphill battle. We need to get other very vocal people to keep spreading the truth... And I know just the people."

Within an hour, Mark's phone wouldn't stop ringing. Craig watched as he checked names off of a list. "What are we doing?" Craig's father finally asked.

"A shoot," Mark replied. "We're going to pull together a bit of a reunion." He smiled at his list, then dialed a number. "What's up, Fatass?" He asked.

"Tommy," Craig said to Markie and Artie. That was how Mark and Tommy greeted each other.

"Listen, is Sandman out on bail yet?" He paused. "Good. Get him to the Arena by eight. I have a plan. And do me a favor... I need you to make some calls. Everyone picks up to you, even if they ignore me."

Craig wondered what, exactly, Mark was planning. He'd find out soon enough.

 _ **FELICIA**_

She was having a nightmare. On some level, Felicia knew that. It didn't change the fact that she was terrified as he father walked toward her, holding a baseball bat that was covered in barbed wire and dripping blood. He'd never actually used an ECW-worthy weapon on her in real life, but it added to his monster persona now.

Just as he was about to hit her with it, Felicia felt someone shaking her. She opened her eyes and let out a startled cry. "Leesh! It's just me," Phil said.

"I'm okay," she said. That seemed to have become her mantra. Maybe if she said it enough times, she'd start to believe it.

"It was just a dream, Leesh," Phil said gently, holding her.

"I know… I know it was." She struggled not to cry. She had to hold herself together.

"Was it Dad?" Phil asked knowingly. She nodded, not daring to speak. "He can't hurt you now, Leesh… Tommy won't let him."

She leaned her head against his chest and lost her fight. She started crying. "Don't cry, Leesh… It'll be okay," Phil promised. "Fuck him… If he shows his face, _I'll_ kill him."

This only made her cry harder. She knew that Phil had a decent relationship with their father. She hated being the one who was destroying it. "I'll be okay," she promised him. She pulled away and took a deep breath. "I guess I fell asleep studying… I should get back to that."

"Come eat something. It'll help."

"I'm not hungry."

"Eat anyway." He took her hand and helped her stand up. He led her down to the kitchen.

Trisa looked up from the computer she was sitting at. "Hi, guys," she said. "What's up?"

"Felicia's hungry. She just doesn't know it," Phil said with a smirk.

Trisa laughed. "No problem. I've got some left-overs I can heat up."

"I don't want to be a bother… I can do it myself," Felicia said.

"You're a guest, honey. It's no bother." Trisa started going through the fridge and pulling things out.

It was strange to have other people taking care of her. Felicia wasn't used to that. Her mother tried. She knew that… She was just terrified of her father's temper. She had every right to be. He'd certainly hit her more than enough times.

"Sweetheart? Are you alright?" Trisa asked as she set a plate down in front of her.

"I… Yes. I'm fine. Thank you, Trisa," she replied. She knew Trisa didn't believe her, but she was kind enough not to call her on the lie.

"I'm supposed to be going and meeting Tommy for something… But if you need me to stay…"

"No… I'll be alright," Felicia promised. "I've got Phil, and Briana and Kim."

"Okay… Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"I will… Thank you."

Trisa nodded. When she finally left, Felicia continued picking at her food slowly. She ate mostly on autopilot, but that seemed to be enough to keep Phil from harassing her.

 _ **TURNER**_

He'd almost told everyone the truth at Ring of Honor. Being part of such a major moment in the fight for ECW in that arena had made it seem like the right time… But Turner couldn't do it. He had absolutely no proof that his mother's claim was true.

He needed to try to find out the truth. The only tool he had was Google, so he started there. That was when he turned up the name of his father's widow, Laura.

"I guess that's as good a place as any to start… Maybe she knows something," he thought aloud. He was mildly concerned that contacting the woman who'd loved and lost his father to tell her he was his bastard son was cruel, but he had to try… He was desperate. He needed to know who he was, and Laura just might hold the answers.

He decided to send her an e-mail. It took a little work, but he was good with computers, and he found the information to contact her quickly. He decided to stop overthinking it and to just type.

 _Hello, Laura. I sincerely hope this e-mail doesn't upset you… My name is Turner. I'm an indy wrestler. I've done a lot of work with CZW, as well as a few other promotions. I don't know why I'm telling you all of that. It's not really relevant… I'm writing to you because I was told something a few years back that may or may not be true. I really don't want to upset you. I'm not after money or fame or anything… Just answers._

 _My mother told me that your husband, Brian, was my father. I don't know if it's true. I have no way to prove it… But the more involved I get with wrestling, the more I wonder. This week, I wrestled in the old ECW Arena, and I felt so connected to him… I realized that I need to know the truth._

 _I realize this might be a shock to you… Or maybe it's not. My mother's name is Janice Lynn Danvers. If that means anything to you, great. If not, at least now you know who the maybe-liar is. Either way, I can't stand not knowing anymore… I had to reach out._

 _If you can find it in your heart to answer this e-mail, I'd appreciate it. You're the only lead I've got right now. Thank you for taking the time to read this._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Turner Knighton_

He hit send before he could change his mind. He didn't expect anything to come of it, but he felt better having sent it.

An hour later, an e-mail came in on his phone. He was stunned to see it was from Laura.

 _Dear Turner,_

 _I admit, initially when I read your message, I was going to delete and ignore it. You're not the first to try to claim some connection to Brian. None of the other claims ever turned out to have any truth to them. I assumed you'd be on that same list, but something you said made me reconsider._

 _Before I met Brian, he loved someone else. He talked about her sometimes. He never told me what her full name was, but he showed me a picture of her, and he called her Janny. That's close enough to Janice that I'm paying attention to your message._

 _I don't know how, exactly, I can help you, but I'd like to try. I believe your intentions are honest… So if you want to explore this further, my number is at the bottom of this e-mail._

 _-Laura_

He stared at the message, not sure what to do. He hadn't expected an answer, especially not so quickly. It wasn't that late yet, but it seemed wrong to call her right away, and besides, he needed time to figure out what to say… But he knew now there was no turning back. He had to call her. He had to follow through with this and find out once and for all if Axl Rotten was really his father. He hoped it was true, but at the same time, he didn't know how he'd react either way. It was one thing to suspect someone was your father. It was quite another to have proof.

"I need a drink," he decided. He poured himself a shot of Jack, deciding this would definitely need to wait until he'd gotten some sleep.

 _ **AIDEN**_

When Rob Feinstein had asked him to meet him and bring his camera, Aiden hadn't really questioned it. He often did freelance work as a cameraman for RF Video. He had packed up the professional camera he had spent years learning how to use and got in his car.

"Rob," Aiden said as he got out of the car and spotted him. "What's up?"

"I've got a very important gig for you, Aiden," Rob said seriously.

"Sure... What is it?" Aiden asked. They were at the Arena. It could be anything.

"A propaganda video," Rob explained. "For your cause." He pointed to the many people gathered outside of the Arena.

Aiden spotted his father. "Dad... Dude, we should have carpooled."

"I came with Meanie," his father replied.

Blue Meanie greeted Aiden with a hug. The others greeted him, too. Aiden knew them all. ECW had always been his family.

"Everyone, get comfortable. We're about to start," Rob said.

Aiden set up his camera and began filming. Paul Heyman sat front and center. After Aiden began with a shot of the Arena and the street signs right outside, he cut to the people.

Paul took a breath, instantly in character, and began to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, _my name_ is Paul Heyman, and sitting beside me are some of my closest friends… My family… The men and women who made ECW great… And we have a message for you."

"Recently, my daughters approached a certain _pageant boy_ and humbly asked for the right to ECW," Tommy began. "They told him to name a price. He did. In under a day, my girls and several other ECW legacies raised significantly more than what he asked for."

"When our daughters and Abby Styles returned ready to pay for the rights, they were mocked and turned down," Trisa said.

"My daughter's not one to give up easily," Joey said. "In fact, she's about as stubborn as they come, and she's not alone in that. We are ECW, and so are all of our kids… And none of us are about to sit back and stay quiet when a big corporation is trying to bully our children."

"Our children deserve to be proud of what we've done," Aiden's father said.

"We are a bunch of freaky, crazy sons of bitches, and our blood is what made ECW what it became," Blue Meanie added.

"I found my brothers at ECW," Matt Hyson said. Aiden hadn't even realized Matt was there until then. He'd been hiding behind Devon and Mark. "I may not appear much anymore, but for ECW, I will always stand up and fight." Aiden wondered if Artie knew his father had come out of hiding for this.

"We're family, and we're here fighting for what's rightfully ours! No one goes back on a deal with our kids and gets away with it! Devon, get the table!" Mark yelled.

"Oh, my brother! Oh, testify!" Devon shouted in response.

"Whether we were part of ECW for one week or for the whole fucking show…" RVD began. He paused to look at the camera and smirked as he raised an eyebrow at his own joke before continuing. "We _are_ ECW, and we will _always_ be ECW."

"Hi," the only woman present besides Trisa said. "I'm Amy Dumas. You probably know me much better as Lita, but before I was Lita, I was Angelica, and before that, I was Miss Congeniality. Those two characters were my ticket into becoming the person I became in this very crazy world of professional wrestling. Women weren't taken seriously, and I worked hard to change that… But without ECW, I never would have grown into Lita. Because of that, ECW holds a very special place in my heart, and even though it is against my contract, I am appearing in this video. I believe in saving ECW _that_ much. Also, I'm probably going to be unemployed once this is released, so I just want to say that I'll be accepting bookings very soon…"

Everyone laughed. Amy was very warm and sucked people in when she talked. Aiden enjoyed filming her because she stood out amongst the others who were present.

"I was lucky enough to have that woman play my girlfriend," Danny Doring said. "Only in a place like ECW would that be possible." He smiled at the camera.

"Only in ECW can a vampire get over," David Heath said. He grinned, flashing his fangs. "I may have been known in later years as Gangrel of the Brood, but my story began in ECW, and that's why I'm here tonight."

"I don't think any ECW reunion is complete without _me,_ " Justin Credible said.

"I'll steal those rights back myself if I have to. You've been warned," Little Guido, affectionately known as Guido or Nunz to the ECW family, said.

"He means that," Tommy said with a roll of his eyes.

"If ECW comes back… I'll personally come out of retirement for the first show," Jerome Young said. "New Jack is back again!" Aiden didn't think that was much of a promise. New Jack may have retired in 2013, but he'd made several appearances in matches since. Still, the show of solidarity was nice.

"Head is here to _demand_ that the pageant boy and his friends stop holding ECW hostage… Immediately," Al Snow said smoothly. He held Head up to the camera to further his point.

"I'm in breach of my contract just like Amy… And I don't care. My support is with my heart, and my heart is with ECW," Mikey Whipwreck said.

"All I'll say is… E-C-Dub! E-C-Dub!" C.W. Anderson added.

" _We all need a haven, a sanctuary, a place to hide, a place to escape, a place to dream and hope, a place where the darkness won't seem so frightening_ …" Raven began, quoting one of his old speeches. "For all of us here, and for so many of you at home who are watching this now, that place was ECW… And I will be damned if I let that place be destroyed by a fucking pageant boy and a bunch of corporate suits who are afraid of a little blood! We _will_ get ECW back, and we _will_ destroy everything you hold dear… _Quote the Raven… Nevermore!_ "

Aiden decided Raven's speech was going to be tough to follow. Apparently, Samu agreed, because all he said was, "I just came here hoping to kick some ass…"

"So, everyone, our point is that we need you behind us," Tazz said. "Get on your computers. Post it on social media. Make phone calls. Spread the message. Let the pageant boy and company know that you're on our side! We're not afraid to take a stand anymore, and I hope that you'll stand with us!"

Suddenly, Rob pushed a button, and _Enter Sandman_ began to play. Sandman, who had been hidden, came out swinging his kendo stick and passing out beer. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Everyone began drinking and screaming along to his song. Finally, he looked straight at the camera and said, "Free E-C-Dub!"

The others picked up the chant. All of them cried it out over and over until his music stopped. Rob nodded at Aiden and he turned off the camera.

"Perfect," Rob declared. "I'll have this posted ASAP guys."

Sandman passed Aiden a beer. "You earned it," he told him.

Aiden raised his beer in appreciation before downing it. One thing the ECW originals knew how to do was throw a party. Aiden wondered if they might get in trouble for public drinking outside of the Arena, but this was Philly. The cops had bigger things to worry about than a bunch of wrestlers letting off some steam.

"Do you think this will be enough?" His father asked him.

"I think it'll go viral," Aiden replied. "And WWE can only handle so many pissed off fans before they have to address this situation."

"We've got this," Mark said confidently.

Aiden believed him. One thing he'd learned early in his life was that if enough of the ECW originals got together, magic happened. Like any family, they were strongest together.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

 _ **KIM**_

She'd decided to go for a run that morning. While pausing to drink some water, Kim noticed someone watching her. He smiled when she caught him and Kim couldn't help but notice how cute he looked when he grinned. She smiled back at him before closing up her water bottle. She was about to start running again when someone nearly ran her over with a bicycle.

Kim felt strong arms pulling her out of the bike's path. She let out a gasp of shock before looking into her rescuer's face. "Thanks," she managed to say to the guy who'd been watching her.

"Any time," he said sweetly. He looked deep into her eyes and Kim melted. His eyes were gorgeous. "I'm Jack," he added.

"Kim..."

"I hope I don't sound totally creepy, but can I buy you lunch?"

Kim considered this. He was a complete stranger, but he'd just saved her from a homicidal bicyclist. Having lunch with the guy seemed like the least she could do.

"Sure," she replied.

They headed to a food cart in the park. Considering they were both dressed to run and were fairly sweaty, this was an acceptable place to have lunch. Jack ordered her a chicken shish kabob and a water before ordering himself two hotdogs and a diet soda.

"So, tell me about yourself," he said as they sat on a bench together.

"I'm from Yonkers," Kim began. "I spend a lot of time in Philly. I have a twin sister."

"Is that your excuse to get out of trouble or is it true?" Jack asked with a laugh.

"It's true," Kim said with a grin. She pulled up a photo of the two of them on her phone. "That's Briana."

"What's with the matching outfits?"

"This was right before a match..."

"A match?"

Kim hesitated. "Um... We're sort of professional wrestlers." This might be the part where he ran away.

He stared at her. "You're kidding me."

"No, I'm completely serious." It was sort of nice to meet someone who didn't know she was famous. "My dad is Tommy Dreamer."

"Dreamer... Didn't he do _Impractical Jokers_ a few times?"

"Yep... And he's a really famous wrestler."

"I never watched much wrestling... I know Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker... And that Cena guy. That's about it... Wait, the Rock used to be a wrestler, too, right?"

Kim grinned. "It's nice to know you're not talking to me just because I'm famous," she said.

"Nope... I'm talking to you because you nearly got killed today... And you have a really cute smile."

Kim blushed as she smiled harder. "So, what about _you_?" She asked.

"Well, my name is Jack Milner. I'm twenty-five and a Sagittarius. I like bad movies, cheesy pop music, and saving the lives of girls with cute smiles." He paused. "I've lived in New York since I was eighteen. I came here to go to the New York Film Academy. Before that, I lived a very humble life in a tiny town in Connecticut. I love movies and want to be a director, hence my choice of Alma Mata." He paused. "Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Anything you want to share," she said. "Do you have any questions for me?"

He paused thoughtfully, then smiled. "Well, I have some qualifications for hanging out with me... Do you like pina coladas?"

"They're not bad."

"And getting caught in the rain?"

Kim stared at him. What sort of questions were these? And why did they seem familiar when paired together?

Suddenly, he burst into song. _"If you're not into yoga... If you have half a brain... If you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape, I'm the love that you've looked for. Write to me and escape..."_

Kim was grinning now. He was a goofball, and she liked that. Besides, he had a really good voice. She could roll with this. She sang her reply. _"Yes, I like pina coladas. Getting caught in the rain. I'm not much into health food. I am into champagne. I've got to meet you by tomorrow, noon, and cut through all this red tape, at a bar called O'Malley's where we'll plan our escape!"_

Jack's face lit up. "You like cheesy songs, too!" He declared. "Kim, I think we're soulmates!"

"Well, Joey Ryan enters to that song, so I've known the words forever," Kim replied with a laugh.

"Joey Ryan sounds like he has good taste."

"He's a weirdo, but he's a friend of my dad's." Kim liked Joey. When he broke kayfabe and stopped talking about... well... _Joey Ryan's Penis_... He was actually a really nice guy.

"So, Kim... Do you think we might be able to do this again? Properly, wearing more clothing and less sweat, at a real restaurant?" Jack asked.

"I think I'd like that," Kim said. She took his cell phone and entered her number. "Call me anytime."

Jack smiled. "Soon," he promised. "For now, would you like me to walk you home? And it's totally okay to say no. I know we just met."

She smiled. "That's sweet of you, but not yet," she said. "Maybe next time. Thanks for lunch." With that, she took off running again. She had an extra bounce in her step now.

 _ **BRIANA**_

She was beating up the punching bag in the basement when she heard someone join her. "Damn! Who pissed _you_ off?" Phil asked.

Briana didn't stop hitting the bag as she replied, "I'm picturing the pageant boy's face."

"Remind me to stay on your good side. You got a hellova right hook there, Briana."

"Damn right I do."

She finished her workout before turning to Phil. "Did you want something?" She asked.

"A distraction. I'm... I just need to be doing shit," Phil replied.

Briana realized he was twitching somewhat badly. "You're jonesing," she said flatly.

"Yeah... I haven't touched anything in days... But I miss it, Bri. And my body just ain't used to it."

"How bad is it?"

"I'd kill for a fucking methadone clinic... Or just, like, one tab of acid... Fuck, I'd take a _joint_ right now just to take the edge off."

"So take a shot of vodka or something."

"I got drunk last night. It didn't help."

She wanted to offer a dismissive, snarky response, but she could tell Phil was actually trying not to break his promise to her father.

"Come here," she said.

"Okay..." He joined her at the punching bag.

Briana pulled out another pair of gloves. "Hit this," she said.

Phil stared at her. "I don't box," he said.

"You need an outlet. This is a good one." She moved back. "Hit the bag."

Phil shrugged and threw a punch. It barely did anything. "Dude, you can hit harder than that," Briana teased him. He set his hands back up and hit the bag harder. "Again," Briana instructed.

Slowly, Phil stopped holding back. Eventually, he hit the bag so hard, it swang back at him with enough force to fling him into a wall if he got hit. Briana grabbed the bag, wrapping her arms around it to slow its momentum.

Phil stared at her, breathing hard and looking both furious and incredibly sad. Briana had never seen vulnerability in his eyes before.

"Whose face did _you_ see?" She asked gently after a minute.

"My father's... My dealer's..." He paused. " _Mine,"_ He added numbly.

"Phil-"

He took off the gloves and handed them to her. "Thanks, Bri," he said abruptly before practically running out of the basement.

She was startled and unsure of how to react to what had just happened. She'd always dismissed Phil as Sabu's asshole druggie son, but it seemed there might be a lot more to him beneath the surface. She hated how much she wanted to figure him out all of a sudden.

She nearly went after him, but Kim came downstairs. She was grinning a little too much. "Who's the guy?" Briana asked knowingly.

"His name's Jack. He's really sweet, and he saved me from getting hit by a bike, and he bought me lunch... He even sang the _Pina Colada s_ ong to me... He's adorable, Bri!"

"Any guy who uses _Escape_ to pick up a girl is a creeper," Briana said firmly.

"It's a good song... It's Joey's entrance music," Kim protested.

"Exhibit A! Joey's the _king_ of creepers and perverts."

"Whatever. I think he's great."

"Of _course_ you do." Briana sighed, already certain she'd be picking up the fragile pieces of her twin's heart when this ended badly. She loved Kim, but she was _way_ too trusting.

 _ **ABBY**_

She was sitting in Carrie's room watching the video that had already gone viral. "Our parents rock," Abby said.

"If that doesn't help us, nothing will," Carrie agreed.

"We need more, though. Everyone's listening, and WWE is bleeding, but if we don't strike again, over and over, they'll recover. They're hurt. They're vulnerable. It's time to bring them to their knees."

"What are you thinking?"

"Propaganda videos. Random promos speaking out against them, bringing more and more attention to our cause. Tweets that will spread like wildfire…"

Abby began typing a tweet. _Carrie swallows and Abby's gonna grab the pageant boy by the pussy!_

Two minutes later, Abby's phone rang. She picked up, saying, "Abby Styles here..."

"Abby... It's Oscar from Groundbreaking Pro," Oscar said.

"Hey, Osc, what's up?" She asked cheerfully. She often worked on commentary for their promotion. GBP Wrestling wasn't huge, but their shows could be fun. They were usually open to trying anything once.

"Look, Abby... Could you...? I mean... We _need_ you to take that tweet down."

Abby was stunned. "Seriously? But you guys _never_ shy from controversy!"

"It's a sexual assault joke, Abby. We can't allow people to think we support that..."

"Dude... It's the same reference that made my dad so much more infamous than he already was. It's not like I'm supporting rape. I'm just making a reference to my dad, who was making a _political_ joke."

"I'm sorry... We need you to do this. Someone just threatened to pull one of our guests because of this."

"Who?"

"Ricky the Dragon Steamboat."

"He has a Legends contract with WWE. They're not pulling him for my comment, Oscar. They're pulling him because I'm standing with ECW."

"Abby, we _need_ this deal."

"I get it... And it's fine. But I won't delete my tweet. And I won't stop fighting for ECW. Good luck to you, Oscar."

He sighed. "Good luck, Abby." He hung up.

Abby stared at her phone. "Is everything okay?" Carrie asked.

Abby slowly began to smile. "I did it," she said. "I broke Dad's record!" She started laughing. "I didn't expect it to be Oscar's promotion, but I'll take it."

"Congratulations," Carrie said with a laugh of her own. "Now what?"

"Now, let's _really_ piss them off," Abby replied, a devilish grin on her face as she began plotting.

 _ **EVAN**_

He was sitting in Starbucks just drinking his mocha Frappuccino when he heard a commotion coming from outside. He stood up and saw two teenagers beating the crap out of another.

"Pussy!" One shouted. "Do you think queers bleed red?" He flung the kid into Evan's car.

Evan was instantly enraged, but not about the car. Although he'd never been one to get into physical fights, these boys were older and the kid they were attacking was terrified. He decided he had to do something, but he hated violence. Instead of hitting them with his fists, he used his words.

"Gentlemen, can't we settle this like civilized people?" He asked grandly.

"Mind your business!" One yelled.

"Stay outta this, White Boy," the other said.

"Actually, boys, _my name_ is Evan Heyman, and what you're doing became my business the moment you tossed this fine young man into my car." He knew he should stop. They could have guns or knives or who knew what else, but Evan couldn't turn a blind eye to that terrified boy. The rainbow necklace around his neck told Evan he was genuinely being attacked for who he loved, and that was unacceptable.

"Evan Heyman... Wait, like... Like Paul Heyman's kid?" The first one asked, beginning to register who he actually was.

"One and the same," Evan confirmed.

"Yo, Homeboy rolls wit Lesnar and shit."

"Yeah, Uncle Brock comes around a lot. And if I tell him a couple of little idiots dented my car using my new friend here, he won't be pleased."

The thugs looked nervous now. "We was just playing," one insisted. "Let's go, man." He took his friend and ran.

"Hi," Evan said to the kid. He extended his hand to help him up off the sidewalk. "I'm Evan."

"I know," the kid replied. "I've seen you at indy shows."

"Ah, a fan with taste!" Evan declared. "What's your name?"

"Jerome."

"Well, Jerome... You're safe now, okay? I don't think they'll mess with you again. Are you okay?"

"I think so. Thank you."

"No problem. Would you like a caffeinated beverage? My treat."

"Sure, but... Why?"

"Because you're having a rough day, and Starbucks fixes everything." He smiled kindly at Jerome, who finally nodded and followed him back into Starbucks.

"Would Brock Lesnar really kick their asses?" Jerome asked once he had his coffee.

Evan laughed. "No, probably not... I may have embellished a _little_ bit about how often Brock's _actually_ around. He'd probably do it for Carrie, though. She can get pretty much anyone to do anything."

"Your sister's kind of awesome."

"Yes she is. Listen, Jerome, don't let assholes like that get you down. You're great the way you are. There's nothing wrong with you."

"Thanks for saying that... It's hard sometimes."

"It gets better. When you're older and ruling the world, they'll be in the gutter trying to claim they were your best friends. Just be awesome, Kid. Okay?"

"I'll try." Jerome paused. "Can we take a selfie?" He asked awkwardly.

"I'd be disappointed if we didn't," Evan replied. He posed with the kid and took a photo with his phone, too, before saying, "It was nice to meet you, Jerome. Good luck."

He walked away hoping Jerome would be alright. No one deserved to be harassed like that just because they were different. Evan had always tried to be a champion for those who needed it most. It was a key part of his nature, and he wasn't about to stop just because he was fairly famous now.

 _ **TURNER**_

He'd called Laura that morning. She proceeded to tell him to come by the house at one o'clock. Turner was parked outside struggling to motivate himself to get out of the car. "You need answers," he reminded himself. He stood up and rang the doorbell.

It was weirdly intimate to be meeting Laura at her home. She opened the door looking exhausted. He wondered if he'd caused her to lose sleep.

"Turner?" She asked.

"Hi," he said awkwardly.

She was staring at him. With a sigh, she finally said, "Come on in."

He followed her inside. There were pictures of his father on the walls. A wheelchair sat in the corner of the bedroom. It had an Axl Rotten t-shirt on it, as well as a rosary that dangled from the arm. Next to it sat a framed photo of his father and Balls Mahoney.

Laura followed his gaze. "He was very close to Jonny," she said. "I tried to reach out and be there for Gayle after she lost him."

He knew "Jonny" was referring to Balls, but could only assume Gayle was his widow. Balls and his father had died two months apart. Their widows had probably grown closer because of their shared losses.

"You look like him when you're thinking," Laura informed him. "Do you have any photos of your mother?"

Turner knew of only one he could access. He had posted a very old photo from his third birthday on Facebook and captioned it _Hardcore Toddler._ In it, his head was bleeding and he was laughing at the camera while his horrified mother stood beside him panicking. His uncle had snapped the picture right after Turner somehow climbed up onto the kitchen counter and jumped off it, hitting his head on a chair on the way down. The photo amused him, which was why he kept it up even though his mother was in it. He pulled it up now.

Laura looked at it and smiled sadly. "That's definitely a Brian reaction to cracking your head open," she said. Then, she sighed again. "And _that's_ Janny. I know, because I have one photo of her... I dug it out after I got your message." She showed it to him.

Turner stared at it in fascination. His mother stood, smiling at the camera as his father kissed her stomach. On the back, it said, _Pregnant!_

"He _knew?_ " Turner asked.

"She told him she was pregnant... He was so happy, Turner... But Brian had his issues... He came home high, and she was furious. She left him. She moved out and vanished, and about two months later, she sent him a letter claiming she'd had an abortion," Laura explained. She paused before adding, "Obviously, that was a very cruel lie... And it broke his heart. He was a mess when I met him."

"He… He _wanted_ me." Turner was struggling to process what she was telling him.

"He did... Very much. He mourned losing you."

"That lying bitch..." Turner shook his head.

"I think he'd want you to have that," she said, motioning toward the photo. "And one other thing." She took a deep breath before pulling out a suitcase.

"What's that?" Turner asked.

"The last ring gear he ever used."

"Laura... _You_ should keep that."

"It's just a painful memory for me, honestly. He got a terrible spinal injury while wearing those clothes... He was in that wheelchair, trying to get better... The rehab facility was trying to help him walk again, but... But he never got there. He died before the rehab worked."

"I'm sorry I brought this all back up for you," Turner said gently.

"It never goes away, Turner... But I know how much he loved you... How much he wanted to be your father... He'd want me to help you."

"Thank you..." He paused. "If you need anything, you have my number, okay?"

"You're a sweet boy... But I'm alright."

After an awkward goodbye, Turner left. He couldn't believe he now had an actual piece of his father in his car. More than that, Laura had given him proof. It wasn't a DNA test, but that photo was enough to convince him that his mother hadn't just been making it all up. Now he just needed to figure out what to do with the information. He knew in his heart it was time to tell everyone the truth.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

 _ **PHIL**_

He'd decided he needed to clear his mind. Phil began driving and somehow ended up at the CZW Dojo. He went inside, relieved to be somewhere he'd always considered home.

"Phil," Hyde said with surprise. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm just here to train and blow off some steam," Phil said.

"By all means."

Phil headed into the training area. He was relieved when he spotted Turner. "Dude! Wanna fuck around?" He asked him. He knew Turner, unlike some of the greener students there, could handle anything he threw at him.

"Sure," Turner replied.

They started with some basic skills before Phil broke out a chair. Turner barely ducked out of the way in time. He grabbed a chair of his own and they started battling, using the chairs as easily as one would use swords in a battle. They connected every time. The students watched in fascination as they kept the routine going. Phil and Turner had worked together so often, it was like a familiar dance. They could anticipate each other's every move. They threw their whole bodies into it, ducking and swinging in sync. They jumped over low shots, dodged side shots, and kept going until, finally, Phil got the chair to hit Turner's back hard.

The students started cheering. Turner stood up and grinned. "That was beautiful," a voice said.

Phil spun around, no longer smiling. His father stood by the door with Hyde as he applauded. "What are you doing here?" Phil demanded.

"I knew there was a class tonight... I had a feeling you'd show," his father replied casually.

"I want him gone," Phil told Hyde.

"Phil... Listen, Kid, you know I take care of you and your sister. I always have," Hyde said. "I called him. Your dad wants to work things out. The least you can do is listen to what he has to say."

"I'm not interested." Phil looked at Turner. "Thanks for that, brother," he said before grabbing his gear bag.

"You need anything?" Turner asked. The look on his face made it clear he knew something was very wrong.

"I'll be okay," Phil said. He began walking out of the dojo.

His father, of course, followed him. "Phil, you're gonna talk to me," he said firmly.

"No thanks," Phil replied. He opened his car and tossed his gear into the backseat.

"I'm your _father_ , damnit! Listen to me!"

"No." He opened the driver's door, ready to get into the car and leave.

"Your mother's worried sick about you!"

Phil stopped. He turned toward his father. He knew he had his attention, so he kept talking. "She's crying herself to sleep because you kids left! You need to come home."

"I can't."

"Your sister's blowing this way out of proportion! She just likes the attention, and she roped Tommy into it cuz he's a good man-"

"You almost _killed her,_ Dad! You bashed her head in!"

"It wasn't _like_ that!"

"So, what? Felicia _fell_ into the wall? _Repeatedly?_ You tried to kill her!"

"I was _pissed_! She had _no right_ to take away your shot! You coulda made some _real_ money and made something of yourself!"

"I'd have washed out the first time they drug tested me anyway! And even if I had a shot, that doesn't make you putting your hands on her okay!"

"Phil, just cut the crap and come home. Your mother needs you."

Phil hated that he kept bringing his mom into this. He knew that sometimes, when his father was too drunk or high to care, he and Felicia were the only ones keeping their mother safe. He'd abandoned her. What kind of a piece of shit was he to leave his mom in that house?

"Come home, Philly. I promise it will be better."

Phil flashed back to the day he'd taken Felicia and run away when they were thirteen. He'd promised to protect her after their father had let his dealer keep her for an entire week. Felicia wouldn't tell Phil what had happened, but her eyes told him more than enough. They'd been on the run for three days when their father finally found them. He'd apologized and promised things would get better if they went back home. Without any real options to support themselves, the twins had returned home. Two months later, their father put Felicia in the hospital. Phil still didn't know what had set him off, but he'd beaten her so badly, she spent three weeks recovering. Felicia refused to say it was their father who'd attacked her and claimed she'd been jumped, but Phil could tell she was lying.

"No," Phil said firmly. "It _won't_ be better. It _never_ is!"

His father tried to grab him, but Phil shoved him away. He got into his car and drove off, realizing the dojo would never be his sanctuary again.

 _ **KIM**_

She'd been thrilled when Jack called to set up their date. She'd spent nearly four hours agonizing over the perfect outfit before Briana rolled her eyes and tossed Kim one of her dresses. It was red with black lace, and Kim had the perfect pair of shoes to match it.

Now, she sat in the restaurant looking into Jack's eyes as he told a great story about bringing home a stray "kitty" when he was five that turned out to be a skunk. His mother had screamed her head off and panicked. Somehow, they'd managed not to get sprayed, and as Jack fell more in love with his "kitty," his mom realized she couldn't take him away. She'd had the skunk's scent glands removed and allowed Jack to keep her as a pet.

He showed her a photo. "That was Kitty," he said with a laugh.

Kim giggled at the photo of a tiny Jack snuggling a skunk. "That's adorable!" She informed him.

"Someday, I'll turn it into a heart-warming film," Jack said with a grin.

"It'll be a major hit at the box office."

He laughed. "What do you want for desert?" He asked.

"Desert? Oh, no, that's too much," Kim said.

"Hey, it's not _really_ a great date until we order desert," he teased her.

"Okay," she said with a smile. She looked over the menu. "I'll take a slice of cheesecake and a coffee."

She stood up to head to the bathroom. She fixed up her hair and paused, then texted Briana a picture of herself grinning and said, _It's going GREAT!_

As Kim was heading back to the table, she felt a hand on her butt. A drunk guy smirked at her. Kim smiled back pleasantly before grabbing his hand and twisting it until he cried out in pain.

"Don't ever do that again," she said sweetly. "To _anyone_. Understood?"

He didn't answer, so she applied more pressure until he cried out, "Yes!"

"Good boy," she said. She released him and returned to her table.

Jack stared at her. "Wow… I was about to come defend your honor when I saw you didn't need my help," he said with a laugh. "That was impressive."

"That was _nothing_. Briana would have grabbed the guy by the crotch and twisted something _else_ ," Kim said with a laugh.

"You two are awesome. Your sister sounds fun."

"I'd love for you to meet her... House of Hardcore's running next weekend. You should come!" Kim paused. "I mean, if you want to."

"Sure! It could be fun. How do I buy tickets?"

"You don't... I mean, if we're a _thing_ now..."

"I'd _like_ us to be."

"Me, too." She grinned. "So that makes you my boyfriend, which makes you sort of like family, and family gets in for free."

"Are you sure? I don't mind paying."

"Positive. We'll put you to work," she said cheerfully. "You'll be setting up chairs and building rings in your sleep soon!"

He touched her hand and held it, making Kim squeal internally. "I'd be honored to help out," he said, looking deep into her eyes.

 _He's perfect,_ she thought. She just hoped her family didn't scare him into running away.

 _ **VINNY**_

He hadn't expected the phone call that came in the middle of the night. His on-again-currently-off-again girlfriend Alyson was in the hospital. He hadn't even hesitated before grabbing his car keys and going to her.

Aly lay on her bed, weak and frail. "Aly..." He whispered. "Why did you do this to yourself?"

Aly had been beautiful once. She still was, but her smile was gone, and her skin was too pale, and she'd wasted away to a tragic eighty-seven pounds. It was terrifying to see her like this, broken and fragile. They'd met in high school, where she'd been the only one who knew who his father really was. Vinny had finally admitted it on their prom night, when his father had actually met her. Aly had become a wrestler, too. She was an indy girl but she dreamed of making it to WWE.

"I... I just need to lose two more pounds, Vinny," she whispered back.

"Aly, no... You're perfect."

"I have to be beautiful to be a Diva."

"You _are_ beautiful."

"They rejected me... Said to come back in a few months."

"Honey, that's not because of your weight. They only bring in a few girls a year."

"I'm not pretty enough!" She cried out. She started gasping for air from the effort of raising her voice.

"You're the prettiest girl I know, Aly," he promised as he clung to her hand. He could feel every single bone.

"My chest hurts," she whispered.

Vinny automatically pressed the button to call her doctor. "You'll be okay, Aly. You'll get better. You can beat this," he told her.

"I'm scared, Vinny," she admitted.

"It's okay. I'm here. I'll get you through this." He hadn't seen Aly in six months. She'd always eaten like a bird, but this was a lot more severe. If he'd had any inkling that the anorexia had gotten so out of control, he'd have gotten her help. He kicked himself for not checking in on her sooner.

"I'm sorry, Vinny... I shouldn't have broken up with you... I love you. I always will... But I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do. Don't talk like that! And I love you, too, Aly. I always have, and I always will."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away."

She smiled sadly. "You remembered."

"How could I forget?" _Wild Horses_ had been the first song they ever danced to... It was _their_ song. Even though it was sort of depressing, Aly loved horses and liked the cover by The Sundays, and there was a quiet beauty to the song that had always soothed her.

Aly closed her eyes and rested. Vinny continued to hold her hand as the doctors checked her vitals.

"She's very weak," one said. "If she doesn't eat something soon, she'll die."

"Her parents refused a feeding tube because she doesn't want one," another said. "Maybe you can talk some sense into her?"

"I'll try," Vinny promised.

Over an hour later, she opened her eyes. "Aly... Baby, you need to eat," he said seriously.

"I can't," Aly replied. She looked terrified. "I'm almost there, Vinny..."

"Baby, you'll _die_. Please... _Please_ eat."

"I _can't_... I... It's too _hard_."

"I know it's hard, but you're the toughest girl I know. You can do this."

"No... No, I... I have to lose two more pounds. Just _two more pounds_ , and then everything will be okay. You'll see."

"Aly..." He forced back tears. Vinny was a very private person. He wouldn't break down now. "You need a feeding tube. Let them do that. They can help you get stronger, and then they can help you."

"No... No tube... Just... Just two more pounds..." She sounded too tired. As she looked at him, she began gasping for air again. That was when her eyes closed and her heart monitor made a noise Vinny would never get out of his head.

He was powerless to do more than squeeze her hand as she slipped away. The doctors tried to revive her, forcing Vinny to move aside, but it didn't work. The machine told Vinny her heart had given out for good.

"I'm sorry," the first doctor who'd spoken to him said sadly.

Her parents came into the room in tears. Vinny looked at them. He knew how poor they were. "I'm sorry," he said. Then he added, "I'd like to pay for the funeral."

"Vinny, no... It's too much money," her father said sadly.

"She's worth it..." He looked into her mother's eyes. "We'll bury her someplace beautiful." He was numb, but that was better. He could mourn later, in private. Right now, he had her parents to take care of. They couldn't afford a funeral, but he could. This was easy. _This_ was a problem he could actually solve.

"Thank you... You always took such good care of her," Aly's mother said through her tears. He realized they'd known as soon as she'd been admitted that Aly wasn't coming home this time. Their grief was clear, but they weren't in shock.

"Call me tomorrow. I'll set everything up," he promised. He hugged them before pulling Aly into his arms. "Wild horses, Aly… Always…" he whispered before gently kissing her forehead and releasing her.

He left after that, numbly driving with no idea where he was going. As he finally parked his car a while later, he got out and rang a very familiar doorbell, ignoring the fact that it was very early in the morning.

Carrie opened the door laughing at something Evan was saying inside. Her face turned serious as soon as she saw his. "Vinny, what's wrong? What happened?" She asked.

He shook his head, unable to form words. Carrie immediately led him inside.

"Vinny? Are you okay?" Evan asked.

Vinny shook his head again, staring straight ahead. He wasn't really seeing anything he looked at, but when he closed his eyes, he saw Aly. He felt occasional tears rolling down his cheeks, but he no longer cared. This was a safe place. He wouldn't be judged.

"Call Peter," Carrie said to Evan.

"Already on it," Evan informed her.

Vinny continued staring ahead, too numb to do anything else. At some point, Carrie wrapped him in a blanket. Eventually, his father showed up, and Vinny vaguely realized that must have been the Peter they were talking about.

"Vinny, what the hell happened?" His father asked gently.

"Dad…" He said, his voice cracking. He closed his eyes, knowing he didn't have to try to be strong anymore. His father could be the strong one while he broke.

"Tell me what's going on," his dad said urgently. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay, Son."

Vinny knew that wasn't true. Nothing would make this okay. Still, he forced himself to whisper, "Aly's gone." He broke down then, hysterical and unable to say anything more as his father simply held him, desperately trying to comfort him.

 _ **CARRIE**_

She'd never felt so helpless in her life. Vinny had been like family for most of her life. Somehow, on autopilot, he'd gotten to her place, but he was broken. That absolutely terrified her, because Vinny never broke. _Ever._ She desperately wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be okay, but she knew how much Aly had meant to him. She refused to lie to him or placate him with cliches.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Evan asked.

"Eventually," Carrie replied. "I just wish I knew how to help him."

"They did this," Vinny said so softly, she thought she'd imagined it.

"Who did?" Peter asked.

"WWE... They caused this... They made her feel like she wasn't good enough... Like she wasn't thin enough or pretty enough... But she was beautiful..." His voice cracked.

"She was," Evan agreed.

"She was great," Carrie added. "Way too good for them." She'd been on more than one show with Aly, and although she was small, she kicked ass. She'd become her friend. This was tragic, and it pissed Carrie off that WWE had made this girl feel so worthless that she'd killed herself trying to be "good enough." It would have been easy to become overwhelmed with grief, but Carrie chose rage instead.

"She deserved so much more..." Vinny whispered.

"They need to pay," Carrie declared.

"Carrie-" Evan began.

"No. They do this all the time, Evan! That company destroys everyone they touch, and they have to be stopped!"

"I agree, but-"

"They're going down, guys. They're going to fucking _burn."_

Vinny looked at her and something determined flashed in his eyes. "They're going to burn," he repeated softly.

"And we'll dance in the ashes," Carrie confirmed. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"What's up?" Abby answered.

"Abby... Aly Prescott died." She didn't bother to try to break it gently. There was no way to make something like that easier to hear.

Abby paused for a moment before saying, "Shit... What happened?"

"Basically? WWE told her she wasn't good enough, so she starved herself until her heart gave out."

"Sons of bitches..." Abby mumbled. It was scarier to hear Abby mumble than scream. "What can I do?"

"Call _everyone,_ Abby. Friends, family... Media outlets. The truth needs to be out there."

"Carrie, what about Aly's family? We can't turn this into a circus."

"We won't. Don't give the media her name... Just make sure they know that WWE pushed a beautiful, talented young wrestler to the point that her heart gave out from lack of nutrients."

Abby agreed to make the calls. Carrie turned her attention to Vinny. He needed a friend. She could rage later. One way or another, she'd make sure that the WWE paid for this.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

 _ **EVAN**_

His father had called him to come over the house, and Evan obediently obeyed. As he walked inside, his father looked up. "Evan! Good, you're here," he said.

"What's going on, Dad?" Evan asked. He paused when he saw Tommy sitting on the couch. "Hi, Tommy," he greeted him.

"Hey, Kiddo," Tommy replied.

"Tommy and I had a long talk last night. As you know, we're all fully behind you kids reforming ECW… We're happy to spread the word, and put any money you need into the project… But that's not enough," his father said.

"You kids are sort of stuck. You took your stand, and WWE made their move, and now it's all sort of stationary," Tommy said. "Neither side is going to budge… You need to take this to the next level."

"We're trying," Evan said, "but what else can we do? Carrie's been plotting like crazy… What happened with Aly really made all of us even more determined… But there's only so much we can do on our own… We were hoping public pressure would make WWE cave and work with us."

"Well, public pressure's a start… And I'm giving you guys as much room as you need at House of Hardcore," Tommy said. "There's something else I think you guys need, though, and your father agrees with me."

"What's that?" Evan asked.

"Me," a new voice said as someone came into the living room.

Evan spun around as he jumped at her voice. "Sellie?" He asked in surprised. Selena Klein had once been WWE's top lawyer. A couple of years earlier, she'd finally quit, much to the dismay of the McMahons. She wasn't a typical lawyer, wearing jeans, t-shirts, and pigtails whenever she wasn't in a courtroom, but she was very, _very_ good at what she did. She'd never lost a case in her life.

"Hi, Evan," Sellie said cheerfully.

"I've officially hired Ms. Klein to help with your case," his father said proudly.

"You got us a lawyer? Do we even _have_ a legitimate case?" Evan asked.

"Technically, Paul entered into a verbal agreement with Briana and Kim which he then failed to uphold," Sellie replied. "It's going to be tough, but yes, you have a case and I think I can help."

"Isn't it a conflict of interest for you?"

"I don't work for the McMahons anymore. I don't have to answer their McMands. I'm free to do whatever I want, and when I'm not helping abused kids, I also help indy wrestlers." Sellie was a die-hard fan of independent wrestling, which was very frowned upon by the McMahons.

"Thank you," Evan said. He hugged her. "I'm really glad you're here."

"So am I… So, let's talk legal strategy. Your father thinks that of all of you kids, you're the one who can be of the most help with the case."

"Evan's very bright," his father said, "and he's got more perspective than some of the others."

"In other words, he's not a hot-head who acts first and thinks later," Tommy added.

"That's exactly what I need," Sellie said. "A clear head and as much inside information as I can get. You're going to be the official spokesperson for the case in the public eye, okay? Your sister and Abby can keep releasing their propaganda videos, but I need you to handle being very mature and professional."

Evan wondered if this job was being giving to him because he was the "boring" one of his group of friends. He decided not to take it that way. It was true that he was calmer, and he would certainly be able to remain professional while everyone else was cursing WWE out.

"What do you need me to do?" Evan asked.

"I'm working on that," Sellie replied. "For now, just tell me everything you know about what's been going on. We're going to move, very soon, but first, I need to know everything that's happened so far."

"That might take a while. It got more complicated… We lost a friend because of pressure from WWE."

"I heard… It's a damn shame… She had a lot of talent." Sellie shook her head. "As far as time, I've got plenty of that. Just keep me in a supply of coffee and Vegas Fuel and I'm good to go."

"You'd get along with Markie."

"Bubba's daughter? I know. She's great."

As they began planning, Evan pulled out his laptop to start taking notes. He was nothing if not organized, and this was more important than anything he'd ever done before.

 _ **VINNY**_

The funeral had been that morning. He had somehow held himself together and gotten through it. Carrie had stayed close to him, and his father hadn't left his side either. It helped having them with him.

Now that it was over, Vinny knew he had to move forward. He wasn't the type to sit and dwell on things that upset him, but he couldn't just forget what had happened, either. Aly had been the very first love of his life. He wasn't sure he'd ever find that again, but he couldn't focus on that. Right now, all he had was the battle they were about to fight.

"Tommy wants to give Aly the ten-bell salute at HoH," Carrie said gently. She sat across from him in a restaurant where they had ordered dinner. His father had left them alone because Vinny asked him to. He needed to try and stand on his own two feet without leaning on his father like he was a security blanket.

"That's kind of him," Vinny said.

"The twins worked with Aly a lot. They're pretty upset."

"Carrie… What's our plan?"

Carrie looked at him for a moment. "Vinny, we don't have to dive right in… You can take a day… Or just let Abby and me take care of it."

"No. I _need_ this, Carrie. I need to fight."

"Well, Abby and I shot a music video… A cover of _Tell Me Lies…_ And we based it around a male beauty pageant." She laughed. "It makes a point… And it's got a lot of hits on YouTube." She paused. "We've taken over Twitter. All of the top hashtags revolve around us… FreeECW, CarrieSwallows, FuckThatPageantBoy… Etc."

"That's good, I guess… But what's it going to do in the long run?"

"I don't know," Carrie admitted. "I mean, everyone's paying attention, and they're furious… Abby made sure the word got out that they pushed an unnamed female wrestler over the edge… It's a public relations nightmare for them… But they still haven't caved. They haven't even issued a statement on it yet."

"We'll put the pressure on them at HoH… I'm going to tell the truth… Aly's parents said they're okay with it… They want people to know why we lost her."

"How can I help?"

"You're _already_ helping me… Just by being here. You've been awesome, Carrie."

"I'm _always_ awesome," Carrie joked. She touched his hand across the table. "Are you going to be okay, Vinny?"

"Eventually… I just need to have a reason to keep going… And right now, this fight _is_ that reason."

Carrie smiled at him kindly. "We're going to win, Vinny. I promise you that."

"You promised they'd burn… I expect flames and ash."

"I'll deliver. I _always_ do."

Vinny smiled. It hurt a bit to smile, but it was easier around Carrie. "You definitely do… _Carrie Swallows_."

She laughed. "Damn right I do."

Her phone rang, making them both jump. Carrie pulled it out and looked at a text message. "Oh, hell yes!" She said loudly, causing several people in the restaurant to stare at her. She smiled sweetly until they turned away.

"What's up?" Vinny asked.

"We're taking this to the next level," she told him. "My dad just called in the big guns… Sellie."

"Seriously?"

"She says we've got a case… A real, _legal_ case."

"You mean she thinks we might be able to take this to court?"

"She does… And if that happens, we could have those rights back very, very soon."

Vinny felt a slither of hope at this news. Sure, Carrie and Abby were great at talking up their cause, but he'd known public pressure might not be enough… This was different. This might actually mean they had a chance. Vinny clung to this new hope and tried to focus only on that.

 _ **BRIANA**_

The Arena was already pretty busy, even though House of Hardcore wasn't for hours. Briana was standing near the back entrance when someone came up behind her and wrapped her in a hug. "Hi, Beautiful," the owner of the arms that hugged her said.

Briana didn't recognize the touch, so she turned around ready to swing. "Whoa! It's _me,_ Kim! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," some guy Briana had never seen before said.

She glared at him. "Wrong twin, Dumbass," she said.

"I… Oh, wow, I'm sorry!" He said awkwardly.

"Jack, I presume?"

"Yeah… I'm so embarrassed… Briana?"

"The one and only." She rolled her eyes. "You get _one_ freebie, Dude, but if you ever do that again, your balls are going in a jar."

Jack had already stepped back, but now he took two more steps away from her automatically. Briana smirked in satisfaction. "Jack!" Kim cried, joining them. She practically leapt into his arms.

"Who's this?" Their mother asked.

"Mom, this is Jack… My boyfriend," Kim explained.

"Boyfriend?" Their mother raised an eyebrow at Briana. "Why is this the first I'm hearing about him?"

"Because I was worried about you and Daddy scaring him away… Be nice?" Kim asked.

"Hi, Mrs. Laughlin," Jack said, extending his hand to her.

Their mother shook it. "It's Trisa… or Beulah around here. I respond to either," she said.

"Is Dad here yet?" Briana asked.

"No, he's still running around trying to set things up," her mother replied. "There were a lot of last-minute changes."

"What else is new?" Briana asked with a laugh. "I'm gonna go upstairs for a bit." She headed up to the locker room area to get away from the awkwardness of watching Kim and her new boyfriend.

She expected to be alone, but she saw someone standing on the balcony. Phil was staring at the ground below looking very lost in thought.

"Don't jump," Briana teased him.

He spun around in shock. "Shit, Briana! I didn't hear you come up here," Phil said.

"Obviously," Briana replied with a laugh. "Where's your sister?"

"Down there." He pointed to Felicia standing with Rob Feinstein at his table. She was helping him set up. "Where's yours?"

"With her new boyfriend who can't tell us apart yet." She shook her head. "He tried to be all cute with me. I almost clocked him."

"You sure he didn't know it was you? Maybe he's got a twin fetish."

"Don't joke… It wouldn't be the first time Kim dated a jerk." She paused. "Is everything okay, Phil?"

"Nope," Phil admitted, "but you already know that. It's alright. We're at House of Hardcore. Fuck everything else. _This_ is all that matters today. The rest can wait until after we're done."

"Do you have a job today?"

"I'm probably gonna help build the ring… Other than that, I probably have a match… Tommy said he think he's gonna need me to replace someone."

"That's cool. Kim and I have a match."

"That should be fun. Too bad Leesh can't wrestle yet. She needs a distraction."

"Helping Rob can be plenty distracting. Dude's always got something he needs done."

"Yeah, but Tommy told him to go easy on her. He doesn't want Leesh pushing herself too hard." He looked down toward them again and sighed.

"Phil… What's going on? You've been acting weirder than usual the last couple of days."

"I went to the Dojo for a night… Just to blow off some steam," Phil admitted.

"And?"

"And Hyde called my dad."

"Hyde did _what?"_ Briana was suddenly furious. "What an asshole! What happened?"

"Not much. I left… After a fight."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Nah… I'm tougher than him." He smirked, but his eyes still looked sad.

"Phil, you can tell me the truth. I saw what he did to Felicia. Did he hit you?"

"I told you, no. He's not like that with me… It's not very often he hits me… _Leesh_ is usually his punching bag. Me, he just smacks around once in a while when I step out of line or get in his way."

"So why do you look so freaked?"

"I think I fucked up, Bri."

"How so?"

"I left her there."

"Who? Felicia?"

"No, not my sister… My _mother."_ He shook his head. "She's alone with him."

"Your mom's supposed to protect you guys, Phil, not the other way around."

"We're adults now. She needs help."

"She's an adult, too."

"Forget it. You don't get it." He started to walk away.

"Don't do that. Don't throw a fit and run off." She grabbed his arm.

Phil pulled away. "Don't!" He said. "Your family is _perfect,_ Bri! You can't understand this! Just let it go! I'm fine." He walked away.

Briana stared after him. What the hell was his problem? All she wanted to do was help, but he was being a dick again. Sometimes, she really hated that guy… But at the same time, she felt sorry for him. It was obvious he really loved his mother, but that didn't mean he had to be such a jerk. Yes, her family was pretty great, but no one was perfect, and she hated the implication he'd made, like having a good family somehow made her unable to understand where he was coming from.

"Briana?" Luke asked, appearing in the doorway.

"What's up, Luke?" Briana asked.

"Your mom needs you. Something about your dad's merch being all disorganized again."

"Ugh… Typical," Briana replied. "Okay, I'm coming." She followed him downstairs, pushing Phil out of her mind.

"He's your _what_ now?!" Her father was asking Kim as Briana walked up to them.

"It's an honor to meet you, Sir," Jack said nervously.

"What? Oh… Right. Hi. What's your name again?"

"Jack."

"Jack… Right. I'm Tommy. It's good to meet you, _Jack_."

Briana was positive her father kept repeating Jack's name so he'd known what to write on the guy's tombstone if he stepped out of line with Kim. She laughed to herself as Jack continued to ramble nervously in her father's presence. He was obviously terrified of her father's wrath. Maybe the guy wasn't a complete moron after all.

 _ **AIDEN**_

He'd arrived at the same time as Tommy, who'd immediately disappeared into the Arena to take care of something or another. Aiden saw the van carrying the ring arrive and decided to put himself to work.

They began unloading the van piece by piece. A lot went in to building a wrestling ring, and even all of these years later, Aiden was still fascinated by the process. There was very little between a wrestler and a world of pain as they took bumps. A wrestling ring was made up of a metal frame, wooden boards, a very thin mat that was meant to provide minimal padding, and a sheet they put over it all to make it look much less scary than it actually was.

Phil came over to help him build the ring. A bunch of Tommy's students were also involved in the process. They got it done fairly quickly, with TJ Marconi taking point and barking out orders to everyone else.

"I fucking hate building rings," Ben Ortiz complained. He had been working with HoH for years, but Tommy had realized a while ago that he needed to be reminded of his place often, so he made sure to have Ben help with the grunt work as frequently as possible.

"Maybe if you stopped pissing Dreamer off, you wouldn't have to do it anymore," TJ teased him.

Kim came over with a guy Aiden didn't know. "Guys, this is Jack, my boyfriend," she said.

"Pleasure to meet you," Aiden said.

"Hi," Phil added awkwardly.

"I decided he's going to help build the ring today, which means I'm helping, too," Kim said. She grabbed a board and said, "Grab the other end, Jack." Together, they walked it toward the ring.

"Weird," Aiden commented. "Do new boyfriends have to prove they can build a wrestling ring before they earn Tommy's approval?"

"Possibly," Phil replied.

Aiden might be a pothead, but he wasn't completely oblivious to the fact that there was something off in Phil's tone. "You okay, brother?" He asked.

"I'm fine. People need to stop fucking asking me that."

"Okay… But if you change your mind, I'm here."

Phil picked up another board in response, so Aiden let the subject drop. After almost an hour, the ring was perfect. The wrestlers immediately started coming out to plan spots and test the ropes. Phil walked away to check on Felicia, so Aiden looked for a new companion.

Vinny stood nearby watching everyone set up. "Hey," Aiden said. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm as okay as I can be," Vinny replied.

"I'm surprised you came tonight… Tommy would have understood."

"I need to be here… Aly wouldn't have wanted me to cancel anyway."

"Do you need anything?"

"I just need this place… It's magic, and I'm positive it'll help me heal."

"Right on, man." He hugged Vinny before wandering toward the lobby.

"Ten minutes to doors, people!" Tommy shouted as he rushed by him.

"Fat chance of that," Luke said with a laugh. He was manning the merchandise table he shared with his father while his father wandered around.

"Long live Indy Standard Time!" Markie declared as she walked into the lobby with Craig and Artie by her side.

"Hi guys!" Aiden said cheerfully. "I didn't know you were on tonight's card."

"We never miss HoH even if we're not," Craig reminded him.

"But Tommy needed us… A couple of people pulled out because of the whole Free ECW movement," Artie added.

"Scumbags… How do you abandon Tommy Dreamer? He's the one guy in this business who doesn't let politics get in the way of good wrestling," Aiden said.

"They have no balls!" Markie declared. "No _cahones! Pas de balles! Senza palle! Nema lopti!"_

"Okay, I followed the Spanish and French… But the last two?" Craig asked.

"Italian and Croatian."

"Croatian? Impressive," Aiden said.

"I'm a woman of _many_ tongues," Markie said with a laugh. "And Mario Bokara's a friend."

"Doors opening!" Rob shouted. "Surprises, get your asses to the back!"

"That would be us. See you later, guys," Markie said, dragging Craig and Artie away.

Chris came out and joined Felicia at Rob's table as the doors opened. Aiden sat beside Luke just so he'd have some company as the fans began coming in. The next two hours or so would be spent selling merchandise, meeting fans, and just hanging out before the show began. It was Aiden's favorite part of shows. He loved being able to meet fans and talk to new people.

Trisa and the twins were working Tommy's table because he was running around as usual. Tommy never sat still at any indy show, let alone at House of Hardcore. He constantly found things to do or people to talk to. He'd happily sign stuff for fans and he posed for free photos with them, but only if they were savvy enough to figure out where he'd bounced off to. It was pretty entertaining, like playing _Where's Waldo: Dreamer Edition._

The time passed quickly, and soon, it was time for the show to begin. Most of the talent packed up and headed into the back and up to the locker room. About ten minutes later, when the ippv was finally ready to start, Tommy walked out to the ring.

The fans cheered, but quieted down as Tommy called out the entire locker room. Vinny stood closest to him, actually climbing into the ring with him. The fans were confused, recognizing the sign of a ten bell salute but not entirely sure why one was occurring. In general, they were reserved for major losses in the world of wrestling, and since Aly's name had been withheld from articles, no one knew who they had gathered to mourn.

"Earlier this week, we lost a member of the House of Hardcore family," Tommy began. "She only did one show with us, but she was a friend of my daughters, and once you do one show, you're family to us. Her name was Alyson Prescott, and I'd like to take a moment to honor her memory today."

The bell began to ring. As expected, the fans remained quiet for the salute. Philly fans were rarely quiet, but one thing they respected was this ritual. When it was over, Tommy passed the microphone to Vinny.

"Aly Prescott was extremely close to me," Vinny began. "I spoke with her family, and they agreed that the truth needed to come out about what happened to her. Tommy has been gracious enough to give me time to talk to you all, but I promise not to take very long." He paused. "Aly wanted to be in WWE more than anyone I've ever met. She worked very hard, and she had an enormous amount of talent, but when she got her try-out, WWE brushed her aside. She left it at that, but when I spoke with them, her parents told me the people at WWE actually told her she could stand to lose a few pounds… Aly was small to begin with. Still, she took their words very seriously and decided she needed to lose weight… And she began to starve herself. She refused to eat so often that she dropped down to eighty-seven pounds… And it still wasn't enough. The pressure they put on her… On _every_ woman who wants to wrestle for them… It was too much. She insisted she needed to lose just a little bit more… But she lost her life instead. Her heart gave out." Vinny somehow kept himself composed. Aiden was deeply impressed with him for that.

After a moment, Vinny said, "I'm here to ask that you all please realize your worth. Whether you're a wrestler, a fan, or just a random person who walked in off the street today, please know that you're perfect the way you are. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise… The people at WWE are bullies. They bullied Aly so badly, it killed her… And they've been bullying the legacies from ECW because they think they can silence us… But we can't be silenced, _especially_ not now!" He paused. "You know the truth. Make your decision for yourself. Thank you all… And please, pray for Aly and her family tonight."

The crowd applauded as Vinny stepped down. They'd been silent for his speech, but now they began chanting, "Fuck the McMahons!" This was a frequent chant at HoH. They'd cried it out when Alberto El Patron had made his first appearance after being unjustly fired. They're shouted it when WWE had actually pulled the Hardys off of one card and nearly pulled them from the Philly card as well. Any time the McMahons tried to pull a stunt against HoH, the Philly fans fought back. Aiden knew this was the right venue for them to fight from. He just hoped it would be enough.

 _ **CHRIS**_

He'd spent as much time as he could with Felicia at Rob's table. The girl needed company, and although she seemed nervous around everyone else, she didn't seem to mind Chris being around. Unfortunately, it was time for his match now.

Chris stood in gorilla nervously waiting for his cue. Phil had gone out first. Chris was supposed to face Rhyno originally, but WWE had pulled him off of the card. No one was really surprised by this, and Tommy had asked Phil to sub in for the match.

 _Big Balls_ began to play and Chris cast his nerves aside. He always entered to his father's old music. It helped give him confidence, and it pumped the crowd up every time as he came out singing and pointing at people at all the right spots. Chris felt closer to his dad than ever when he entered to that song, and he always knew his dad was out there with him.

As the match began, Phil attacked first. He hit a diving leg drop and then dove under the ring for a chair. Chris stood just in time to be hit with what he now called Air Tabu, a variant on his father's signature Air Sabu. Chris recovered and fought back, hitting a superkick before going for the infamous Mahoney Combo.

The crowd began chanting. "Balls! Balls! Balls!" With every hit he made. Phil knew how to play up the assault just as well as Chris knew how to sell the theatrics of it. No matter what else he did in his matches, he always included this set of moves at least once. It was his tribute to his dad, and the fans loved it.

Phil dramatically fell backward onto the mat. Chris covered him, but Phil kicked out at two. Chris immediately climbed up on the ropes and hit a frog splash. Phil kicked out again. He tried to grab his chair, but Chris took it away, hitting Phil in the head with it instead.

It was funny to Chris to do things like that in the ring. In recent years, he'd become so quiet and meek, but when he was in character, he was as wild as his dad had been. It was sort of freeing. He'd run around so freely and fearlessly as a kid, but he'd lost that for a while after his mom made him start seeing the doctor. Only in the ring did Chris get that piece of himself back.

After finally hitting a Ball Buster, Chris got the pin. The crowd applauded as his music began to play and he started singing along again and celebrating. He headed backstage, then immediately dried himself off with a towel and went back to Rob's table.

"That was awesome," Felicia told him with a smile.

"Sorry for beating up your brother," he said shyly.

"That's okay. Phil can take it," she said with a slight laugh.

"How are sales?"

"They'll be crazier in a minute… It's about to be intermission."

"I'm here to help."

"You don't have to, Chris."

"I want to." He smiled, and she smiled back.

 _You take care of that girl, Chris,_ his father said. _And by the way… Hell of a match, Buddy! I'm proud of you!_

Chris smiled more. Felicia looked at him curiously. "You look pretty happy," she said.

"Oh… Yeah, just an after-match high, I guess," Chris said quickly. He was relieved when she didn't push him to say more.

 _ **KIM**_

They were waiting in gorilla. Their father had put them on just before the main event, which was a pretty big honor. Most women's matches were held early in wrestling shows, but their dad never made them feel like they were less important because they were girls.

Carrie was tagging with Brooke Danielle for the match. Kim had known Brooke for years. She was one of her father's most trusted HoH people, and she was sort of like a big sister to her and Briana. It was going to be a fun match.

The twins always entered to _Man in the Box_ when tagging, although they used their own entrance songs for individual matches. They headed out to the ring together, dressed in identical ring gear. Brooke and Carrie had gotten the crowd pretty pumped by entering to Carrie's music, but the twins got a bigger pop. Their father's music was sacred in that Arena, so it demanded a better response no matter how great Carrie's entrance always was.

The match began and Brooke immediately tried to attack Briana, but Briana ducked out of the way and swept Brooke's legs out from under her. When Brooke stood, Briana went for an inverted DDT and tried to pin her. Brooke kicked out, and Briana dove toward the corner and tagged in Kim.

Kim enjoyed flying, so the first thing she did was climb up on the ropes. Brooke had tagged in Carrie, so as soon as Carrie turned around, Kim hit a hurricanrana. Carrie kicked out almost immediately and tossed Kim halfway across the ring. Kim recovered and tried to hit a running clothesline, but Carrie caught her and forced her into a sharpshooter.

Kim struggled frantically. The crowd was screaming, "Please don't tap!" Kim had no intention on tapping, so they didn't have to worry about that. She started pulling herself closer to the ropes. Briana reached down and touched her hand to tag herself in. She climbed up on the ropes and hit a swinging neckbreaker on Carrie as she took over. As soon as she touched Carrie, the hold was broken and Kim was free.

Carrie somehow recovered and tagged Brooke back in. Briana pretended not to notice and kept going after Carrie. Brooke waited for Briana to turn around before she hit a perfect spear. Briana hit the mat and Brooke covered her. Kim dove in to break up the pin.

Back in the corner, Kim waited until Briana crawled her way to the ropes and tagged her back in. It was going well until Kim pinned Brooke and Evan distracted the referee. He'd been pretty quiet during the match itself, letting the girls do their thing, but now he was doing the job of a heel manager. Playing up her frustration, Kim got off of Brooke and dragged her into a new position. She went for the Death Valley Driver, and hit it perfectly. She covered Brooke.

"You're okay, right?" Kim asked softly. She worried about doing that move because it involved targeting Brooke's neck.

Brooke nodded subtly. Kim kept her pinned until the referee started to count. Brooke kicked out at two. Suddenly, Tammy Sytch ran out. The woman best known as Sunny was a complete surprise and the fans went insane from the shock. Tammy helped Brooke to safety before slamming Kim's head against the ringpost. Kim had the reflexes to take the bump safely. That was when Kim's mom ran out to the ring with another big surprise… The woman known as Jazz.

Jazz immediately hit Tammy with a running splash, effectively knocking her out of the match. The fans were making so much noise, the Arena was practically vibrating. Kim's mom checked on her and Briana before Carrie hit her with a powerbomb. Briana glared at Carrie and attacked her, knocking her out of the ring.

Brooke hit another spear on Kim, but Kim kicked out almost immediately before pulling Brooke into the Boston Crab. Brooke screamed for a moment before tapping out.

The referee raised the twins' hands in victory as their music played. After a brief celebration, they headed backstage. That was where Kim saw Evan and Carrie already standing with Sellie.

"Girls… I've got news," Sellie said.

"What's up?" Kim asked.

"I officially filed the paperwork for your case yesterday… And social media has blown up with people flipping out about Aly and putting a lot of pressure on WWE."

"So what's going to happen?" Briana asked.

"They are under an enormous amount of pressure right now. The bad PR is killing them, and Paul didn't seem to realize that verbal agreements are legally binding in the state of Connecticut. They can't handle a lawsuit on top of this new bad PR…"

"Sellie, stop beating around the bush," Briana insisted.

"Tell us what happened!" Kim added.

"Paul called me," Sellie said. "He's willing to talk about negotiating with you guys."

"Seriously?" The twins asked in unison.

"Finally!" Carrie added.

"Yes. And I fully intend to get these rights back for you guys… It's going to take a little bit of time, but I'm positive we're about to win this thing. Paul's nervous as all hell. He sounded pretty freaked out on the phone. I know him better than anyone. He knows he's lost and now he's just trying to save face by pretending to cooperate."

"Sellie, you're the best!" Kim declared, flinging her arms around her.

"I knew you could do it," Evan added.

"What can we do to help?" Briana asked.

"I may have to call you guys in if he tries to argue his way out of this… But until then, hang tight. I'm going to use Evan to represent the potential new ownership of ECW. He's the calmest of you all."

"I'd be offended at being left out… But you're not wrong," Briana said. "We're all crazy. Evan won't fly off the handle."

"I can be professional," Kim objected.

Sellie thought about this for a moment. "Okay, Kim… We're meeting on Monday. You can come with Evan and me."

"Kick ass, Sis," Briana said.

"I always do," Kim promised. She was nervous, but she knew this was it. If Paul was willing to talk about things, they'd probably already won. He knew even better than they did that Sellie never lost a case and he couldn't stand up against her. He'd give in. Now, they just had to see it through to the end.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

 _ **PHIL**_

It was the second day of House of Hardcore. In a rare move, Tommy had booked the entire weekend at the old ECW Arena. Phil was standing outside of the parking lot trying to clear his mind when he heard, "Hey! We gotta talk, Phil!"

He wanted to ignore his father, but he knew that wouldn't work. Phil reluctantly turned around to face him. "Quit stalking me," he said. He hoped Felicia wouldn't come outside while their dad was around. He needed to get rid of him and fast.

"It's not stalking. You're my kid."

"I don't want you here, Dad."

His father frowned at him. "Your sister's got you brainwashed."

"No, Dad. She hasn't even really talked about it. But I saw what you did, and I'm pissed off."

"You're coming home with me."

"No I'm not."

"It's not up to you." His father grabbed his arm.

Phil pulled away violently, but his father just grabbed him again. "Let go!" Phil shouted.

His father actually tried to drag him away, but suddenly, someone pulled Phil away from him and got between them. "He said to back off," Turner said firmly.

"Stay out of this! He's my son," his father insisted.

"He's an adult and he doesn't want to go with you. Leave him alone."

His father threw a punch at Turner, but Turner's reflexes were quicker and he dodged the attack. He punched Phil's father instead. This quickly resulted in a full-on fight in the middle of the street. Phil tried to throw himself between them, but his father tossed him into a parked car hard. Phil hit his head and felt a little blood on his skin.

 _Fuck,_ he thought. He realized his father wasn't going to stop. He couldn't just let him kick his buddy's ass. He ran back into the parking lot and rushed into the Arena.

"Where's Tommy?" He asked Briana breathlessly.

"Phil, you're bleeding!" Briana said in shock.

"I _know_ that, Briana. Where's your dad?"

"What's going on?"

"Stop answering my questions with questions! I need Tommy. Right now."

"He was with Rob the last time I saw him. Let me check your head."

"There's no time for that. My dad's out back beating the crap out of my friend."

"What?!" She automatically reached for her kendo stick.

Phil dragged her with him before she could run out there and join the fight. "Tommy, I need help," Phil said.

"What happened to your head?" Tommy asked.

"My dad's here and he's beating up my friend who just saved my ass."

Tommy immediately followed Phil toward the back entrance. Briana came with them and neither of them wasted time arguing with her about it. Once she made up her mind to do something, it was done.

"We have a security issue," Tommy told his security guards.

"What's up?" One asked.

"Sabu's here." That was all Tommy had to say.

"Let's go," the other guard said.

"Briana," Tommy said at the door. "Leave the kendo stick."

"But-" Briana protested.

"Drop it."

Briana obeyed and they hurried outside. Turner was holding his own very well. Phil's father was bleeding from the mouth.

"Terry! What the fuck are you doing?" Tommy demanded. He pulled Phil's father off of Turner.

"He fucking hit me!" He yelled in anger.

"You threw the first punch," Turner replied. "I was just trying to stop you from taking Phil."

"He's my son. This ain't your business!"

"He's my friend, and he told you to let him go."

"Fuck off!" His father tried to hit Turner again, but Tommy caught his hand.

"Terry, get the fuck out of here," Tommy said firmly. "You're not welcome at House of Hardcore, and I'm going to make damn sure your kids get a restraining order against you. If I see you again, I'm calling the fucking cops. Do you understand?"

"Phil, you tell him you're coming with me!" His father insisted.

"I'm not going _anywhere_ with you," Phil replied.

"You really gonna abandon your mom like that? _I_ don't need two ungrateful kids, but _she_ wants you home."

Phil tensed. He could sense the warning in his father's words. No one else might understand it, but he did. His mother wasn't safe.

"I'm calling the cops, Terry," Tommy said, pulling out his phone.

"Put your fucking phone away, Dreamer," his father said. "I'm leaving." He walked down the block and got into his car.

When his father finally drove away, Tommy said, "Come on inside, Kids."

"You alright?" Phil asked Turner as Briana started to follow her father and security inside.

"Yeah, I'm good," Turner replied. "Are you?"

"I'll be aiight. Thanks for the save."

"You coming?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah," Phil replied.

"You, too, Kid," Tommy said to Turner.

"Me?" Turner asked in shock.

"No, the invisible guy behind you. _Yes_ , you."

Turner obediently followed. He was clearly nervous as they walked inside. Once Tommy brought them upstairs, he said, "Briana, you know the drill. Take care of Phil."

"I've got him," Briana promised. She put on a pair of latex gloves before starting to clean up Phil's head.

"Ouch!" Phil cried out as Briana touched his wound with an alcohol pad.

"Don't be a baby," Briana said. "Hold still. This will be over soon."

Phil knew it was far from over.

 _ **TURNER**_

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dreamer, Sir..." Turner said nervously. "I wasn't trying to disrespect you by getting into a fight."

"Relax, Kid... What's your name?" Tommy asked as he started cleaning up Turner's minor injuries.

"Turner, Sir. Turner Knighton."

"Cut the Sir crap. It's Tommy." He paused. "You did a good thing, helping Phil."

"He's a friend. I'm a CZW guy."

"I thought you looked familiar... You were at Ring of Honor during the revolution, right?"

"Yeah... I was a last-second replacement."

"I don't suppose you've got your ring gear today?"

Turner couldn't believe this might be going where he thought it was. He'd always felt he belonged at House of Hardcore, but he'd never dreamed he might actually get to work a show. "I don't go anywhere without it," Turner forced himself to reply. With a smirk, he added, "Never know when you might need to have a deathmatch on the spot."

"I've got an empty spot on the card. Morrison, or Hennigan, or whatever his fucking name is now had to pull out because he's got food poisoning. I'm reworking the entire show around it, but if you want a match, you've earned the spot."

Turner stared at him in shock for a moment. "Definitely," he said as he found his voice. "I'll do anything you need. Thank you for the opportunity."

"Okay. I'll let you know. First, I need to see if Phil here is clear to wrestle."

"I'm fine," Phil said. "I've taken worse bumps in my sleep. It's just a small cut."

"You're getting cleared by a doctor, Kid."

Phil clearly knew better than to argue. He grumbled a response as Briana finished cleaning up his head.

"I'll need a doctor to check you, too," Tommy told Turner. "You seem fine, but just to be on the safe side."

"That's fine," Turner said. He knew he was alright. Sabu's body was falling apart and even in a blind, drug-fueled rage, he could only do so much damage. He was slightly sore, but it wasn't a big deal.

"Phil... I want you and your sister to think about getting a restraining order," Tommy said. "I was serious when I said that. Without one, your father can just keep pulling this crap."

To Turner's surprise, Phil didn't outright refuse. "I'll think about it," he said. "But Leesh isn't gonna go for it. She never tells anyone what he does... She's always protected him..."

"I'll talk to Felicia," Briana offered.

"Good plan," Tommy said. "Alright, guys, I need to rework things. I'll get a doctor up here. I'll be back to check on you in a bit." He walked away.

"Welcome to House of Hardcore," Briana said cheerfully. She extended her hand to Turner. "I'm Briana, or Bri Dreamer, or Twinovator B."

"I know who you are," Turner said. "I've been to every HoH in the area since I was a teenager. I'm Turner. Turner Knighton... Also known as Mr. Knight."

"I know who you are, too. I've seen you around CZW... I believe my sister spent more than one show flirting with you."

Turner laughed. "Yeah, I've met Kim, but you never introduced yourself. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." She stopped talking as the doctor on-call came upstairs to examine him and Phil.

The doctor checked Phil first. After a few minutes, he said, "You're blood pressure's a little high, but that's probably just the stress. Your pulse is also a bit fast, and you're shaking."

"I'm coming down," Phil said automatically. "Trying to stay clean."

The doctor nodded. "Alright, that fits the symptoms. Mostly, you're fine. Not even a concussion. Just keep that cut clean. But be careful, alright? Don't put too much strain on your body today. Your heart can't take too much. I'm not going to stop you from wrestling because, technically, you're okay, but I'd recommend a tag match so the burden isn't fully on you."

Phil nodded as Turner allowed the doctor to check him out. "Everything looks good,," he said. "You're in excellent health." He turned back to Phil. "Listen, I respect that you're trying to get off the drugs, but you can't do it cold turkey. You need to ease your body into it...Off the record, I suggest you smoke something. Make sure it's as clean as you can get it, but it should ease some of your stress, and that will bring your heart rate back down."

When the doctor left, Turner said, "I've got some joints in my car, but they're not necessarily totally clean."

Briana raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing. "No," Phil said. "I promised Tommy... I gotta stay clean." He stood and walked downstairs before heading straight to the bathroom.

"He needs something," Turner said.

"Dad wouldn't flip over weed... Not after what Phil just went through," Briana said. "I mean, if he tried to get me or Kim to do it, he'd kill Phil, but if the guy just needs to smoke a little to ease the withdrawal, that's different."

"You should tell Phil that."

"If he comes out of the bathroom, I will."

Turner noticed how worried Briana looked. "He'll be fine," he said. "He's come down hard before, when he was broke. He's tough."

"I know he is... But I wanna beat his dad with my kendo stick right now."

"That would have been fun to watch!" He laughed. He stood and said, "I guess we should go downstairs." He led the way, still stunned he was going to live his dream that night.

 _ **PHIL**_

He was gripping the sink so hard, his hands were turning white. He stared at his reflection, struggling to breathe through the agony of withdrawal.

"Fuck..." He mumbled. He realized he was starting to hyperventilate. He ran his hands under cold water for a minute before splashing some on his face. As it dripped down his cheeks, he continued to watch himself. "You're a fucking mess," he informed himself.

He continued to shake, more violently now, and Phil realized he was crying. "Pussy," he taunted himself. "Stop being a little bitch!" He could see his father in his reflection, taunting him. He'd said those words to him more than once to convince him to go along with the dark, twisted things he thought of over the years. Everything was about not being a bitch, about proving he was a man, no matter what his father demanded of him...

He threw his hand against the mirror, hitting his palm several times in quick, angry succession before he finally collapsed to his knees and stayed there, struggling to breathe.

"You alright?" Aiden asked from the entrance to the bathroom.

Phil looked up at his friend and asked, "You got anything on you?"

Aiden pulled out a joint. Phil knew he could count on him. He also knew Aiden's stash was always pure. It was as good as the shit you got with a prescription. Surely it wouldn't be that bad if he smoked a little... Just to take the edge off.

Aiden helped Phil stand back up before saying, "I've got you, brother."

They walked out together and went for a walk. Phil inhaled several times before he relaxed slightly. He knew Tommy was probably going to kick him out for this, but he needed it. Each puff pushed his issues further away until he stopped thinking about the things he tried to hide even from himself.

 _ **ARTIE**_

His father grabbed him and dragged him off to a more secluded spot. "Do you have something to tell me?" He demanded.

"No, Sir," Artie said nervously. He had no idea why his dad seemed so pissed off.

"Is this true?" His father demanded. He pulled something up on his phone, and Artie's world shattered.

 _Kidd Dudley Spotted at Gay Club!_ The dirtsheet article read. There was a picture, too. "I..." Artie began.

"What were you doing at some gay club?"

"I wasn't... I'm... I'm not..."

"Don't lie to me, damnit! What the fuck is this?" He could hear the fury in his father's voice.

"I…" He couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening.

" _There_ you are, Babe!" Markie called. Much to Artie's confusion, she proceeded to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him on his lips. She smiled sweetly at his father. "Hi, Matt," she said cheerfully.

"I... Are you two...?" His father tried to ask.

"Dating? Yeah, for three weeks now. Artie's great."

His father seemed to relax slightly. "What were you guys doing last night?"

"We went to a party at a gay club in town. They play the best music, and most of the guys can actually dance, so I thought it might be fun to check one out."

His father laughed. "You two should go public," he said. "The rumor mills are trying to declare Artie's some sort of queer or something." He shook his head. "Good work, Artie. This girl's a keeper." He walked away smiling.

"What the fuck was that?" Artie asked.

"I'm your beard now," Markie said with a laugh.

"My _what_?"

"Your _beard_. As in the girl you date so no one knows you're gay until you're good and ready to tell them you are."

He stared at her. "Markie... You don't have to do that."

"I _want_ to. After seeing how upset you immediately got, and how your dad reacted, I want to help. You know I love you. I don't mind playing up a kayfabe romance so you have one less thing to worry about."

His heart ached. "You'd really do that for me?" He asked.

"Of course I will. That's what family does. We look out for each other." She hugged him. As she saw Craig walk in, she declared, "Guess what! Artie and I are a thing now!" She laughed.

Craig frowned. "I missed something," he said.

"I'll explain later," Artie promised him. He hoped Craig wouldn't hate him for this. He knew how his best friend felt about Markie. In fact, pretty much everyone did, except for Markie. Craig appeared to be hopelessly Friend Zoned. Artie watched Craig continue to frown as Markie pretended to fawn over him. Awkward didn't even begin to cover it, but Artie knew she was right. If he was going to keep his private life private, he needed to offer up a convincing public one.

 _It's just kayfabe,_ he told himself. If this was just another storyline, it would be easy to get through, so he focused on that. No one had to know the truth... Especially not his father.

 _ **CRAIG**_

As soon as the doors opened, Markie began hanging out in Artie's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing and flirting and selling this new romance harder than she'd ever sold anything before. He knew it was an act. He knew Markie was just trying to protect Artie... But it still made Craig feel sick to watch it.

"When did _they_ become a thing?" Carrie asked as she joined Craig.

" _Very_ recently," Craig replied.

"Tough break, Craig... I'm sorry." Carrie paused. "For the record, she's missing out. You're a great guy. She just doesn't realize you're meant to be."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not... But I bet I can help!"

"How?"

"Let's make her jealous... Force her to realize she loves you, too." Carrie smiled at him.

"How, exactly, do we do that?"

"Easy... You make out with me."

Craig stared at her. "Seriously?"

"It would get her attention."

"Here? In front of all these fans?"

"Well, _I_ would, but I'm guessing you're not interested in this spreading like wildfire. Everyone will be backstage soon. I'll grab you there."

Craig didn't think she was serious, but a little while later, she pulled him toward the corner across from Markie and Artie and kissed him hard. Carrie got really into it, slipping her tongue into his mouth and everything. It was by no means unpleasant. Carrie was a hell of a kisser... But even as Craig went along for the ride, he realized how empty he felt kissing her. Carrie was probably the sexiest woman alive... But she wasn't Markie. His heart just wasn't in it.

 _You'll never have her,_ a voice taunted him. _She's always going to see you as a brother._

Craig had been with a healthy amount of other girls, but it never worked out. Most of them realized very quickly that he dropped everything for Markie, and they soon figured out why.

"You're good at this," Carrie said against his ear. Her lips sent a chill through him.

"So are you," he replied. His heart might not be in it, but his hormones were another story.

"We should hook up sometime... No strings. I know you love _her_... But some great sex never hurt anyone."

He would have been surprised, but it was Carrie. She was nothing if not unpredictable, and she didn't do relationships. Having a fuck buddy might be nice...

He moaned as she gently bit his earlobe. "I'll take that as a yes," she teased him.

"Jeez, guys, get a room!" Markie teased them from where she was sitting, still in Artie's lap.

"She's jealous," Carrie whispered. "You're welcome." She pulled away and smiled seductively. "What?" She asked. "We were just having some fun." She rubbed her body against Craig's suggestively and he couldn't help but respond.

" _Carrie Heyman!_ " Her father shouted.

"Daddy? I didn't know you were coming tonight!" Carrie said cheerfully.

If Craig were a white boy, he'd have turned red. As it was, his cheeks burned as he stuttered out, "I'm s-sorry, Mr. H-Heyman..."

" _You_! Of all the people here, you were the _last_ one I expected this from!" Paul shook his head. "You can't trust _anyone_ anymore! Keep it in your pants, Son, and step _away_ from my daughter!"

Craig stared at his feet as Carrie said, "Daddy, I'm a legal adult. I love you, but this isn't your business."

"I will _not_ have you _dry-humping_ some... some... some _Dudley_ in public!" Paul looked like he was about to kill Craig. "Have some respect for yourself, Carrie, and keep things like this private! And _you!"_ Paul glared at him. "Show my daughter the respect she deserves and don't be such an exhibitionist next time!" He flung his arms up in frustration and walked away.

"I am so sorry!" Carrie said. "He's sort of overprotective."

"You think?" Markie asked. "That was brutal!"

"Forget it... Are we on for tonight?" Craig asked. He might as well see this thing through to the end.

"Sure," Carrie replied sounding pleasantly surprised.

Craig smiled at her. It wasn't love, but maybe he'd stop feeling so shitty if he spent the night with Carrie Heyman. At least it gave him something to look forward to.

 _ **FELICIA**_

She'd been told what her father had done. Briana had even gently tried to convince her to agree to a restraining order. As a result of knowing her father had gotten so close, Felicia was too shaky to work at Rob's table again. She sat on the balcony instead, planning to watch the show from the darkest corner she could hide in. She was beyond terrified, and Tommy was talking about going to the cops. All she wanted was for this nightmare to go away. She pulled out a small blade and ran it across her wrist lightly. She could make it stop. She could end her life... But then what would happen to Phil and her mother?

With a sigh, Felicia put the blade away. She started to clean up the small cut she'd made. It would probably scar, but not as badly as some of the other marks on her flesh. She'd hurt herself before, but she tried not to. It was hard sometimes. Her brother coped with drugs, but Felicia had an addiction of her own.

"Felicia?" A gentle voice asked hesitantly,

Felicia quickly moved to roll down her sleeve as she saw Chris. "Hey!" She said too nervously.

Chris slowly walked closer. "Can I?" He asked.

She wanted to tell him no, to keep her secret a secret, but she knew he'd already seen it. She nodded. Chris carefully rolled up her sleeve.

"Oh, man," he whispered. He took an alcohol pad and re-cleaned the cut, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. "It's okay," he promised her.

"It's just a scratch," Felicia said quickly.

"Felicia... I've been in and out of therapy for years. I'm not going to judge you... Not ever... But I know what those scars are from. I've seen it before."

She felt tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't apologize. I'm just worried about you." He pulled the pad away. "It's okay now."

"Do you think I'm a freak?" Felicia asked.

"You're an ECW legacy. We're _all_ freaks." He smiled sadly. "At least you don't hear your dead father talking to you."

"You're not a freak for that, Chris. He's your dad. Of _course_ he's watching over you."

He paused. "You don't think I'm nuts?"

"No. I believe there are things out there that we don't understand. Who's to say spirits aren't real?"

He took her hand and squeezed it. "Thanks... Felicia, have you gotten any help for the whole cutting thing?"

"No. Nobody knows... Well, I think Phil suspects, but he doesn't call me on it."

"You need to talk to someone."

"I can't talk to a shrink... My family doesn't do that."

"Okay..." He paused. "But you can talk to me. Okay?"

She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but a deep desire to help her. "Okay," she found herself saying. "I'll try."

"That's good enough for me." He hugged her. Although she'd been flinching from almost everyone, she never flinched from Chris. She knew she'd be safe with him.

 _ **ABBY**_

She was beyond psyched that Tommy had asked her to play ring announcer for the night. When not announcing, she'd be sitting by her father at the commentary table. This was going to be fun.

She stood in the ring now, ready to offer up the first surprise for the Philly fans. "Hey, Philly!" She declared. The fans cheered in response. "Welcome to House of Hardcore! We're going to start the night with a special guest…"

Music began to play and the fans started screaming. Terrance Gerin, best known as Rhyno, came out to the ring. He wasn't dressed to wrestle, but considering the Pageant Boy had refused to let him so much as do a meet and greet the night before, this gave the fans hope that things were going to go better tonight.

"I'm home!" Terrance declared into the microphone. He smiled at the fans as they cheered. When they quieted down enough, he continued. "First of all, I'm sorry I wasn't able to appear last night. My bosses down at WWE decided they needed me at the last minute and pulled me off of the card… I know everyone here knows about the on-going battle between WWE and the wonderful children of the original ECW roster… As a show of good faith to prove he's quite willing to negotiate and work this out, Triple H has graciously allowed me to appear here tonight and address you all. He's even given me a statement to read to you." Terrance pulled out a piece of paper. He cleared his throat to indicate he was about to read it, then crumpled it up instead. The fans cheered as he tossed it out of the ring.

"The Rhyno has been unleashed, my friends! I'm back home, and I've got exactly _one_ thing to say to you all tonight… Free E-C-Dub!" Terrance shouted. The fans immediately began chanting.

Abby smiled as she hugged him. Paul Levesque might have expected things to go his way, but he'd made a huge mistake letting Rhyno go to the show. She'd known he'd stand with them. He was ECW to his very core.

"And, by the way, _Hunter…_ I quit!" Terrance declared. He proceeded to flip off the cameras and chant, "Fuck that Pageant Boy!"

Abby knew Terrance was endangering his career. WWE still owned him. He was in breach of his contract. The fine he had to pay would be huge and he'd be banned from wrestling for the remainder of his contract, but they couldn't really do much to him. Terrance was too popular with fans. He was also a politician and knew how to argue his way out of things. On top of that, Abby was certain Sellie would find a loop-hole in his contract, which she'd written, and get him released. It would be a battle, but he'd obviously decided it was worth the fight.

As Terrance headed backstage, Abby focused on announcing the first match of the night. "The following match is scheduled for one fall!" Abby declared in her best Announcer Voice.

The first song began to play. It was Phil's. He walked out to the ring confidently, fully in character, and Turner followed him. "Introducing first, making their way to the ring, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the team of Mr. Knight and Tabu!" She announced Turner first because this was his first match at House of Hardcore and the fans might not know who he was.

 _Big Balls_ began to play and Chris came out. "And their opponents… Introducing first, from Nutley, New Jersey, Jon Mahoney!" Abby declared. Chris got into his entrance as always, pointing at fans and getting the crowd to sing along to his music.

 _Enter Sandman_ began to play and the fans got even more excited. "And, his tag team partner for this match… from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Little Sandy!" Abby announced. She stepped out of the ring and allowed the match to begin, joining her father at the commentator table.

 _ **LUKE**_

He'd worked with all of the people in this match before. Chris has been his tag partner, his opponent, and at one point, his manager over the years. He was one of his best friends. The two had bonded because, of all the ECW legacies, they were the two youngest who were actively involved in the wrestling world. They'd grown up together. He'd worked with Turner and Phil at CZW and at several of the hole-in-the-wall promotions he'd wrestled at. He was looking forward to this match.

Turner and Luke started. Luke pulled out a kendo stick right away, because that's how he rolled. He hit Turner across his back before grabbing him and hitting a DDT. Turner tossed him off of him as soon as he tried to go for the pin.

Luke shrugged and pulled out a beer. Because he was still technically not legal to drink, he tossed it into the crowd. The fans loved that. He then pulled out a water bottle and drank some. As soon as Turner stood up, Luke spit the water in his face. Turner flung Luke toward the corner and chopped his chest hard. He did this four more times before finally letting Luke out of the corner.

Luke was gasping for breath, selling the chops, but it was also legitimate. Turner didn't hold back. He was okay with that, but it still knocked the wind out of him. He tagged Chris in to give himself a minute to catch his breath.

Chris immediately hit Turner with a running clothesline, catching him off-guard. He went for the pin, but Turner kicked out. Chris walked toward the ropes, ready to go for a splash, but Turner tagged in Phil. Phil knocked Chris down onto the ropes, nutting him. Chris cried out in pain as Phil broke out a bag of thumb tacks. He spilled them over the mat, then climbed up to grab Chris and throw him onto the tacks. Chris tossed Phil onto them instead.

Phil sold it as hard as he could, but Luke knew thumb tacks didn't hurt him. They barely registered for someone as hardcore as Phil. Chris hit a frog splash and Phil cried out even louder. Chris nearly got the pin, but Phil kicked out just in time.

Chris tagged Luke back in. Phil crawled to his corner and tagged in Turner. Turner hit Luke with an exploder suplex. He followed this up by going for an SST… Although the inverted brain buster was actually called that by a lot of people, Turner preferred it be called by the more hardcore name of Severe Skull Trauma, and Luke agreed it sounded way cooler. It had been one of Axl Rotten's finishers, which was why Luke was familiar with it, and he knew how to avoid it. He escaped before Turner could fully complete the move and hit Turner with a White Russian Legsweep. Turner got out of that and went for a British Bomb.

Luke stayed down, but Chris dove in from the top of the ropes and broke up the pin. Phil jumped in and attacked Chris. They threw each other around until Phil flipped over the ropes and out of the ring onto the ground below. Chris went after him, diving down onto him as he stood. Turner dove through the ropes onto them, knocking them both back down. Since everyone else had done it, Luke shrugged and threw himself through the ropes, too. He jumped back up like nothing had happened and declared, "I'm okay!" Then he picked Turner up and tossed him into the ring, pinning him.

The referee counted to three and Luke stood up. Chris jumped into the ring and hugged him before they had their hands raised. They celebrated by tossing more beer to the fans before they headed backstage. Luke opened up his final can once he was back there and downed it, out of sight of fans or anyone who might object.

"That was fucking epic!" Luke declared.

"Damn right it was," Turner said with a grin. "I've never felt this amazing in my life!"

"The Arena does that to people," Chris said. He was staring at Turner. Luke wondered why, but he didn't ask. Chris often did things that seemed strange to other people. Luke was used to it.

"I'm gonna go get some more beer from the car. Who wants?" Luke asked.

"Me," Phil said. "I definitely need a fucking drink."

"Cool. Anyone else?"

"I'll take one," Turner said.

"Chris?"

"You know I don't drink much, Luke," Chris said. Some people assumed that was because Chris was afraid of addiction issues because of his dad, but Luke knew it was mostly just because mixing alcohol with the psych meds he was on was dangerous.

"Okay, that's cool. See you guys in a few." Luke walked out to his car, eager to have a few drinks and relax.

 _ **TURNER**_

Getting to watch House of Hardcore from behind the curtain was awesome. Turner had never had so much fun in his life, and Luke provided a seemingly endless supply of alcohol to keep them all in good spirits.

At the end of the night, after Luke and his father walked out and had everyone party in the ring to celebrate with _Enter Sandman_ and beer, Turner found himself upstairs in the locker room with the last of the stragglers.

"Tommy… I gotta confess something," Phil blurted out.

"What's up, Phil?" Tommy asked.

"I smoked a blunt before the show… Just one… I… I needed it. I know you're gonna kick me out now-"

"Slow down, Kid. First off, I knew. I'm not stupid, but thanks for the honesty. Second, it's a joint. I'm not going to kick you out for needing one joint after the day you've had. I'm glad you went for that and not something harder."

"You're not mad?"

"You had a rough day."

Turner was impressed. Tommy really was a great guy. He was thrilled to have been part of the show, and now he wanted to tell him the truth… It was now or never.

"Tommy…" Turner said.

"Yeah?" Tommy asked.

"I have a confession, too."

Tommy raised an eyebrow at that. "Was _everyone_ high tonight?"

"Not that," Turner said quickly. "I just… Um… I'm sort of…" He hesitated. Could he say it? Could he finally tell someone?

"Out with it, Kid. What's going on?" Tommy asked.

"I'm Axl Rotten's son," Turner blurted out before he could chicken out.

Tommy stared at him for a minute. "Wait, seriously?" Phil asked. "You never told me that."

"Axl didn't have any kids," Briana said suspiciously.

"It's true," Chris said suddenly. Everyone looked at him. "Just… Trust me. If you paid attention to him in the ring, you wouldn't even question it."

Turner was impressed Chris had realized he used his father's move set. He remained quiet, nervously waiting for Tommy to speak.

Tommy considered all of this for a minute before asking, "How long have you known?"

"A couple of years, technically… But it was never confirmed until recently… I met his wife, Laura… She had a picture of him and my mom… I know it's not actually proof, but-"

"You're Janny's kid." Tommy said bluntly.

Turner stared at him. After a moment, he said, "Yes, Sir, I am."

"I told you, it's Tommy, not Sir." He took a deep breath. "Your dad would be really happy you're here, Kid. _Really_ happy." He opened up his arms and said, "Welcome to the family, Turner." He hugged him, leaving Turner completely stunned.

"You believe me?" He finally asked.

"I have no reason not to." Tommy looked at him. "You should have told me sooner, Kid. You belong here. You finally found your way home."

Turner was overwhelmed with emotions he couldn't quite identify. For so long, he'd felt like an outsider. He never fit in anywhere. He got in trouble everywhere he went. He'd never known his father, and his mother had disowned him. He was on his own… But now, for the first time ever, he had a family. Tommy was right. He was _home_.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

 _ **MARKIE**_

There were two days a year that Markie didn't deal with very well... The anniversary of her mother's death and the day she was currently facing... Her mother's birthday. She got in her car very early that morning to head to the small town in Virginia that she'd grown up in.

At the last minute, she'd asked Artie to go with her. She wanted to ask Craig, but he'd disappeared after House of Hardcore to do God only knew what with Carrie. Markie was sort of hurt that Craig had forgotten what day it was, but she couldn't dwell on that. He was entitled to have a life of his own, and at least Artie had been more than happy to step up. She loved Artie, but it wasn't the same. Artie had come into her life when they were eighteen. Craig, on the other hand, had been there to help Markie piece herself back together after she lost her mom.

It was an eight hour drive, although Markie made it in six thanks to a fondness for speeding and a huge supply of caffeine. Even though she and Artie had only gotten about two hours of sleep, she was too emotional to feel her exhaustion.

They pulled into the cemetery and drove toward the center before parking. Markie reluctantly stepped out of the car. She hated this part. It was too real, being here. Still, she took a deep breath and walked toward the headstone. "She loved trees... So I made sure she'd be under one..." Markie explained to Artie.

"It's beautiful here," Artie said gently.

"Happy birthday, Mom," Markie said awkwardly. "This is Artie, my fellow Dudley. Don't believe what you've read in the dirtsheets. We're not really together, but no one can know that, okay? I trust you to keep a secret." She started going down a list of things to tell her mother. She only allowed herself to speak to her here, in a town where everything reminded her of her. It was too painful to think about her otherwise.

"So, since the last time we talked, I got four more titles... Three tag titles with my boys and one women's championship... I got that at WSU, off of Leva Bates... You know, the girl who had a Dudley gimmick for a while... Blue Pants, I think they called her in WWE... Anyway, speaking of WWE, the ECW legacies are trying to get the rights back from those fuckers... I mean, _jerks_. Sorry." Markie sighed, wishing her mom were actually there to lecture her about the potty mouth she'd always had that her father had only made worse.

"I'm sorry Craig didn't come to see you today," Markie said. "He... He's busy. I'm sure he wanted to come." Her voice was shaking slightly. In Connecticut, or Florida, or New York, or wherever she was with her father, she was tough as nails, but here in Virginia, she was still that sad little girl who needed her mom.

Artie awkwardly put an arm around her, seemingly not sure to do with her now that she was more Broken than a Hardy. Markie snuggled against him and allowed herself to cry. He'd never seen her like this, but at least he was trying to be there for her. He was one up on Craig.

"Are you okay?" Artie finally asked.

"No," Markie admitted. "I can't come here alone, even after all this time... My dad and Jamie took me until I was old enough to make the drive without them, and Craig has come with me twice a year, every year since then. It's just... _Strange_ not to have him here, you know?"

"I'm sorry," Artie said. "I'm sure he didn't mean to forget."

"Carrie Heyman can be a very distracting person," Markie replied. "Seriously, what's up with them?"

"I think he was trying to... Never mind," Artie said, seemingly catching himself.

"To _what_?"

"Nothing. It's silly."

"Artie... You started. What's going on?"

"He was trying to make you jealous, Markie."

She actually snorted. "That's ridiculous!" She said. "Craig's not into me like that, and even if he were, why would he do that? He knows we're not actually together, Artie. I mean, you're gay. Like, _very_ gay. I love you, but not like that. Craig knows this is all for show."

Artie sighed. "Markie... You'd be surprised..."

"What do you mean?"

"Craig's been in love with you since before I started training with you guys. It's really obvious to everyone except, apparently, _you._ "

"No way."

"Think about it for a second. He literally drops everything for you, no matter what else is going on."

"He's my best friend."

"He wants more. I see the way he looks at you, like you are the embodiment of the sun and he needs you in order to survive."

Markie paused. Artie had a way with words, but he also had a point. Had she really been so clueless? "Craig... _Likes_ me?"

"No, Markie. He _loves_ you."

Markie couldn't process what she was feeling until she finally identified one of the emotions... Rage. "He has a fucked-up way of showing it!" She shouted. _Sorry, Mom,_ she added silently. She figured her mom would forgive her for this one.

"Markie-"

"No. Craig _knows_ we're doing this to keep you safe. It's not real! There's no reason to be jealous, and a _real_ man would tell me how he feels, not screw one of my friends to make me jealous! What the hell is wrong with him?"

Artie sighed. "I wasn't trying to upset you. I'm sorry."

" _You_ didn't. _He_ did." She shook her head. "Fuck him. If he's going to be that fucking _stupid_ and _petty,_ I don't need him."

"Markie... It's a rough day. Think about what you're saying before you do something you regret."

"I'd react the same way any day. He's being a fucking child! I'm not interested in high school games." She sighed. "Forget it. He's not important. Today is about my mom."

"How can I help?"

"You're doing it just by being here." She gave him a hug. This wasn't his fault. She couldn't believe Craig had hurt her so badly. She knew one thing for sure... She couldn't care right now. The drama could wait until she was back home.

 _ **KIM**_

She was a nervous wreck. Kim knew this was it. Whatever happened at the end of these negotiations, there'd be no going back.

Evan squeezed her hand discretely beneath the table as Paul walked in. Kim relaxed slightly. She wasn't alone, and Sellie was on their side. They could do this.

Paul looked very annoyed as he said, "Kimmy... Evan... Sellie. Good to see you." He didn't sound like it was so "good."

"Paul. Long time," Sellie said, shaking his hand. She smiled at the nervous-looking man in the suit sitting beside him. "Brett Kegan! Nice choice. How _are_ you, Brett?"

"Very well, Sellie," he replied politely. Kim saw how hard he clutched his briefcase, as if it might save him. She noticed Sellie's lips curving into a slight smirk. It was obvious this guy knew who he was up against and was appropriately terrified.

"We're here to negotiate," Paul said. "I'm willing to offer up a spot on the Network, but you'll have complete creative control... Within reason."

Sellie shook her head. "I'm sorry, Paul, but that's not good enough. Kimberly and Briana came to you asking for the rights to ECW. They requested you name a price. You did, and that constitutes a verbal agreement, which is legally binding in the state of Connecticut."

"Mr. Levesque never actually agreed to sell them the rights," Brett said.

"He may have used deceptive wording, but he still entered into a verbal agreement-"

"Sellie." Paul cut her off. "Just put it on the table. What do you want?"

"The rights to the name Extreme Championship Wrestling going forward. To keep both parties reasonably happy, WWE would retain all previous ECW ownership. Any DVDs or merchandise from the original brand will belong to you. Anything the new brand manages to earn will belong to the new owners."

"The Dreamer girls?"

"Their name is _Laughlin,_ Paul... And actually, this is a full list of the new owners of the company." Sellie handed him an official document with the names of everyone they'd agreed would own the company.

"Jesus, Sellie, there are thirty people on here!"

"You need to go back to math class, Paul. There are fifteen." Kim had insisted on inviting Turner along for the ride. After all, he was family, too. He'd happily donated his payment for wrestling that night. He promised he'd pay more as needed. "All of them are the children of ECW wrestlers who will be thrilled to put their blood, sweat, tears, and money into this company."

He paused. "You won't negotiate on your terms, right?"

"You know me, Paul. I get what I want."

He sighed. "Give me the damn agreement."

"Mr. Levesque-" Brett objected.

"Just read it. If it's exactly what she said, I'll sign it. It's worth it to kill the bad publicity."

Sellie smiled as she handed Brett a copy of the contract. Brett read it carefully, rereading it to catch every detail. Kim wanted to scream at him to just sign it already, but she controlled herself.

"He'll sign," Evan whispered as he leaned toward her. "He knows he can't win this."

Kim nodded. She hoped he was right. After several more agonizing moments, Brett reluctantly said, "It's exactly what she said. If you're certain you want to go forward-"

"I'm certain we'll lose the rights to the DVDs and merch if we don't," Paul replied. "Hiring Sellie... Paul Heyman is one crafty son of a bitch." Paul took a pen and signed his name in several spots. Sellie handed it to Kim and Evan.

"You two sign now. We'll get everyone else later," Sellie said. She looked at Paul. "I'll get a copy to Brett as soon as it's done. Pleasure doing business with you again, Paul!" She stood up and began gathering her paperwork as Kim and Evan finished signing the contract.

When they left, Kim hesitated. "That was too easy," she said suspiciously.

"I agree," Evan said.

"Oh, he's not done fighting," Sellie promised. "He realized he couldn't win this battle, so now he's going to try to sabotage your promotion." She laughed. "The thing is, you're not just some random indy kids. He has _no_ idea who he's messing with. His little games won't work on ECW... Not with you all behind it."

"We own ECW," Kim said suddenly. "It's actually ours!"

"The Heymans are back in ECW," Evan said in wonder. "We _really_ just did that!"

"Yep. Now do something great with it!" Sellie said. She smiled at them. "But first... Denny's. I'm buying."

 _ **CRAIG**_

By the time he'd woken up in bed next to _Carrie Heyman_ of all people, he was well rested. The night had blurred into early morning until they'd collapsed from exhaustion. Now, it was four in the afternoon. "What day is it?" Craig asked.

"The day after House of Hardcore," Carrie replied with a sarcastic smile.

"The nineteenth... Oh, shit!"

"What's wrong?"

"I fucked up." He pulled out his phone and saw a few missed calls early in the morning from Markie. He immediately called her back. The first time, it went to voicemail, so he tried again. That time, the call seemed to drop right after someone picked up. On his third try, he finally got a response, but not from Markie.

"Craig." Artie answered.

"Artie?" Craig asked in confusion.

"Stop calling. Markie doesn't want to talk to you right now."

"I'm sorry, okay? I just... I forgot."

"Don't apologize to me. Just leave her alone right now."

"Artie, you gotta let me talk to her."

"She doesn't want that, and I'm respecting her choice. I only picked up to tell you to stop calling before she throws her phone into the lake."

"But-"

"No. You _really_ screwed up, Craig, and now you need to deal with the consequences. Markie will contact you when she's ready. Until then, leave her alone." Artie hung up on him.

Craig stared at his phone in shock. "What's going on?" Carrie asked.

"I forgot... It's Markie's mom's birthday... I _never_ forget... She fucking hates me!"

"She'll get over it."

"No, she won't... Not this." He shook his head. "I'm an idiot."

"Can I help?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." He pulled on his clothes quickly. "I gotta go."

Carrie's phone rang. She answered it. "How'd it go?" She paused, then screamed. "We did it!" She told Craig. "The Pageant Boy signed over the rights!"

"Seriously?" Craig asked. He was stunned. He'd expected things to go badly.

Carrie flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. He pulled away. "Sorry," she said with a shrug. "I got caught up in the moment."

He nodded. "I know what you mean." He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid, but he also couldn't focus on that right now. They'd just won. Maybe somehow everything would be okay now. He tried to convince himself of this as he listened to the details Evan was giving to Carrie. It was easier than focusing on the fact that he may have just lost his best friend.

 _ **CHRIS**_

He was sitting with Felicia on Tommy's couch when he heard his father. _They did it, Buddy! ECW is yours!_

 _Are you sure?_ Chris asked.

 _Positive! That Sellie's a miracle worker, and you kids have beem putting up a hell of a fight. I'm so proud of you guys._

 _Thanks, Dad._ Chris struggled not to burst with excitement. He couldn't celebrate until someone with a pulse confirmed the news.

"Chris?" Felicia asked. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Chris replied too quickly.

"Is your dad here?"

No one had ever asked him like that. Usually, that question was only asked to see if he'd lost his mind again. He could see that wasn't why she asked, however, so he softly replied, "Yes."

"Hi, Balls," Felicia said casually.

 _Hi, Sweetheart,_ his father replied.

"What's he saying?" She asked.

"He says hi... And..." Chris sighed. He might as well see how much crazy the girl could take. "He says we won. He says Triple H signed over the rights."

Felicia smiled. "Do you think he's right?"

"He always is."

"Holy shit!" Briana exclaimed from upstairs. She came running down. Breathless, she said, "They got him to sign it! ECW is ours!"

Felicia looked at Chris and whispered, "Well, I guess his streak is in tact." Louder, she called, "Phil!"

At the same time, Briana shouted, "Mom!" Trisa and Phil both came into the room.

"What's wrong?" Phil asked. He looked ready to attack.

"Nothing's wrong!" Briana declared. "We own our own wrestling promotion!"

"You won?" Trisa asked.

"We won! We just need to sign the contract," Briana confirmed.

"Holy shit!" Phil said, echoing Briana's response. "This is amazing! I've gotta tell-" he paused awkwardly. " _Turner,_ " he said, trying to cover his slip, but the pain in his eyes made it clear he'd planned to end that sentence with _my father._

Felicia tensed with guilt. Chris automatically squeezed her shoulder supportively. She looked at him and her smile returned.

"I'm calling _everyone,"_ Trisa said. "This calls for a celebration, and that way, you're all in one place to sign the contract. We'll do this tomorrow night."

Chris smiled as everyone become increasingly excited. This was it. They were about to start the _real_ journey.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY…**_

 _ **BRIANA**_

She'd been running around helping her mother set the house up for hours. Kim, Phil, Felicia, and Chris were all helping, too. Chris might not live there, but he'd insisted on coming by early to get everything ready, and the guy was family anyway, so no one even blinked an eye.

Her dad came in with the last of the food. "Trisa, isn't this overdoing it a little bit?" He asked.

"Have you _seen_ these guys eat? I didn't just invite the kids, Tommy," her mom replied. "I mean, for God's sake, _Bubba's_ coming!"

He looked at the food and said, "Hmmm… I don't know if we have enough, actually."

Briana laughed. She heard the doorbell and hurried to answer it. To her annoyance, it was Jack. "Not a good time, Dude," she said.

"Briana!" Kim scolded her. "I _invited_ him. He's here to help."

"He's not part of this, K."

"He's my _boyfriend."_

"For _what_ , a _week_? That doesn't give him security clearance."

"Ignore her. She's just bitter because _she's_ still single."

Briana rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's it. I'm desperately lonely. Make babies with me, Jack! It's _me_ you want!"

"Sorry," Jack said with a nervous laugh. "I only have eyes for Kim."

"Eyes that can't tell us apart," Briana pointed out. Kim smacked her arm. "Ouch! _Mom_!"

"Don't hit your sister, Kimberly," her mother said automatically. "Unless it's in the ring."

"But she was being _bitchy_ , Mom!" Kim replied.

"Was _not_! I was just pointing out a fact," Briana objected.

"It _was_ kind of bitchy, Briana… But _also_ factual. Work on that, Jack. The girls don't like it when their boyfriends mix them up," her mom said.

"Of course… I'll never make that mistake again," Jack promised.

"Yes you will," Phil mumbled. Briana snorted.

"You shush!" Kim said. Clearly frustrated, she took Jack's hand and led him away.

"What the hell does she see in that guy?" Briana wondered aloud.

"He's reasonably attractive," Felicia said. "In a pretty boy sort of way."

"He's not a wrestler," Chris said. "You know Kim prefers not to date wrestlers."

"Why?" Phil asked. "I mean, her whole _family's_ full of wrestlers."

"I think that's the reason. She needs something in her life that's not about this business."

"Blastemy," Phil said.

"You mean _blasphemy,_ " Felicia corrected him gently.

"Yeah, yeah… That, too."

Briana laughed. "I'm buying you a dictionary for Christmas, dude," she said.

"You must have me confused with my sister," Phil said dryly.

The bell rang again and it got very noisy as her father opened the door. _"Weeeee are the chaaaaampions, my friends…"_ Luke and his father began singing in unison.

" _And weeee'll keep on fiiiighting till the eeeeend…"_ Aiden and his dad added.

Mark and Jamie came in behind them. Even Briana's parents got caught up in the moment. Together, they all sang, _"Weeee are the chaaaampions… Weeee are the chaaampions… Noooo time for loooosing cause weeee are the chaaampions of the world…"_

Briana started laughing hysterically.

"Kim?" Jack asked as they re-appeared at all of the noise.

"Yeah?" Kim replied.

"Your parents and their friends are kind of awesome."

"I know."

Briana was distracted as she saw Markie follow them in. Although Markie was smiling, Briana could see that something was wrong. She walked over to her and asked, "Hey, Markie. You alright?"

"Yeah," Markie said. "Dad's a goofball. How can I be upset at that?"

"You know, if you want to talk or anything…"

"Kim's usually the hugs and kisses one."

"I make exceptions for friends."

Markie looked even more sad. She nodded. "Thanks," she said simply. "It's good to know who my real friends are."

Briana was mildly alarmed by the cryptic comment, but she let it go as Artie and Matt arrived, followed closely by Devon and Craig. Markie vanished into the house, which seemed a bit odd considering she was supposedly dating Artie. Briana didn't buy that. She knew Artie wasn't exactly playing for that team. Still, it was none of her business.

"Mark, is Markie here?" Craig asked.

"Nah, I left her at home," Mark said dryly. "Yeah, Kid, she's somewhere around here."

Craig nodded and rushed off to find her. Artie chased after him. Briana raised an eyebrow at that, really wondering what the hell was going on with the three of them. She couldn't focus on that as the other guests arrived, however.

Sellie wandered around with the contract, showing it off and getting signatures from the people who needed to sign it. Briana felt an incredible sense of accomplishment as she added her signature to the document. Everything was going to change, and she was beyond ready for it. Nothing could get in their way now.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She had tried to avoid Craig all night, but he finally backed her into a corner. "Markie, come on… I'm sorry, okay? Can't we talk?" He asked.

"Apparently, only _one_ of us is mature enough to do that," Markie snapped at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You fell in love with me!" She accused him.

Craig stared at her. "I… What?"

"It's _true_. I _know_ it's true, I can see it in your eyes… You fell in love with me, and instead of being a man and telling me, you screwed one of my friends! _How_ does that even make any sense?" She knew people could hear them. She suddenly didn't care. All of the hurt was coming to the surface.

"Markie, you don't understand," Craig said.

"You're right. I don't! I _don't_ understand how I never saw you for the asshole that you actually are, or the coward! I _don't_ understand how you could do something so incredibly dumb! And I _don't_ understand how you could _forget_ what yesterday was as soon as some girl shook her ass at you!"

"You're being ridiculous-"

" _Am_ I?" Markie picked up her hand and threw the hardest punch she'd ever thrown in her life. Craig stared at her as everyone else in the house stopped dead in their tracks in shock.

"What the fuck is going on?" Her father demanded.

"Nothing," Markie replied coldly. "Nothing goes on between Craig and I except for business from now on."

Trisa pulled out a steak from the freezer and was about to put it on Craig's eye when Tommy said, " _No_ , Trisa! Not the _steak_!"

"We don't have an ice pack handy," Trisa pointed out.

"Use a bag of frozen peas. No one eats those anyway."

Trisa obliged and pulled one out, putting that to Craig's eye. Markie knew it was going to look awful in the morning, but she wasn't sure she cared.

"Markie, come on," Carrie said, stepping forward. "We weren't trying to hurt you! I was just trying to make your realize that you belong with Craig."

"Oh yeah?" Markie asked. "Well, you fucked that up, Carrie, because instead of seeing _that_ , I saw the _truth_ … That Craig is nothing but an insecure fucking _child_ who lets his hormones dictate his actions."

"Markie-" Carrie tried to grab her.

Markie slapped Carrie hard across the face. Carrie's hand automatically went to her cheek as she stood there looking both hurt and furious. " _Enough_!" Paul Heyman interrupted them. "Whatever this is, this isn't the time or place. You all need to calm down."

"What the _hell_ did you do?" her father demanded of Craig.

"He was so busy fucking a Heyman, he forgot Mom's birthday," Markie said. "And I'm _done_. Tommy, Trisa, I'm sorry for disrespecting your house like that. It was wrong, and _I_ can admit when I'm wrong."

"Don't worry about that," Trisa said. "It's not _really_ a party full of wrestlers until someone gets punched, right?"

"Anybody want a beer?" Luke asked awkwardly. Craig immediately took the beer out of Luke's hand, apparently deciding he needed a drink.

Numbly, Markie said, "I'm going to leave now."

"Oh no you're _not_ ," her father said. "You need to stay right here until you're calmer. You sure as _fuck_ aren't driving like this."

"I just wanna go _home_!" Markie said with an uncharacteristic sob.

"I'll take her," Jamie said quickly. She wrapped Markie in her comforting embrace. "You can drive our car back. I'll drive Markie's… Is that okay, sweetheart?"

Markie looked at her with tears in her eyes and nodded. "Okay. Let's go." Jamie leaned in closer. "Hold your head high, Girl," she whispered as she led her toward the door. Markie did, closing her eyes and trying to regain some of her dignity.

Once they got in the car, Markie began sobbing horribly. Jamie drove out of sight of the house before she pulled over, and then she held her. "It's okay, Markie," she said gently. "Let it out. Let it _all_ out."

"Why are boys so stupid?" Markie demanded.

"It's a side effect of their gender. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to put up with it. It's up to you when and _if_ you want to forgive Craig, but try to remember… This is his first offense."

"But it's _huge_."

"It is," Jamie agreed.

"I hate him right now."

'"That's okay. But honey… Can I ask you something?" Markie nodded. "Do you have feelings for him?"

"I don't _know_!" Markie said in frustration. "I honestly never considered it before. He's _Craig_ , you know? He's just… He's my best friend."

"That's how your dad and I started. He became one of my best friends, and then somehow, I fell for the big idiot."

"Opposites attract."

"Exactly."

"Jamie…" She sighed.

"Yes, honey?"

"I miss her," she admitted as her tears started up again. "I miss her so much…"

"I know you do… And that's good. You're _supposed_ to miss her."

"I'm usually okay, but… But yesterday… That's my designated Hot Mess Day, and… And he was supposed to be there to pick up the pieces… But he wasn't. And the reason was so stupid… And all I wanted was to call him because I was so upset, but he was the _reason_ I was so upset, and what if… What if I can't pull myself out? He always does it, Jamie… He always brings me back… And that's not an option anymore."

"You've got friends, sweetie. And you have me. And your dad."

"I just want it to stop hurting… I act like I'm so strong, like nothing can touch me… But sometimes, I miss her so much it feels like I'm dying."

Jamie held her tighter, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words until Markie finally began to calm down. "Are you okay now?" She asked.

"I think so," Markie replied.

"Good. We're going home, but first, we're buying the largest container of ice cream we can find, and we're going to curl up on the couch and watch bad movies and eat until we feel better."

Markie nodded. "Thank you," she said.

"Anytime, sweetheart," Jamie replied. She began to drive again. Neither of them said anything else, but they didn't need to. Markie had released most of what she'd been holding inside. She was miserable, but she could breathe. It was a start.

 _ **LUKE**_

ECW was nothing without drama, but no one seemed to know how to react to what had happened. "Move on," Mark said. "There's nothing to see here." He looked at Devon. "Hey, Devon? As soon as his eye's better, your kid's going through a table."

"I figured," Devon replied. "Come on, Craig. Let's go." He dragged his son out of the party.

Luke shrugged and looked at everyone. "Screw this… Time to get back to the mood we're supposed to be in." He put on a song and everyone paused at the sudden return of the music. _Enter Sandman_ began to play. He began tossing beer to his friends and their parents. His father grinned and joined in, knowing where Luke was going with this. Their entrance routine was the ultimate celebration. No matter what happened during a show, even if every match went to shit and none of the babyfaces won, this was the moment of redemption. Luke figured the same rule could apply to parties.

Briana and Kim quickly began singing along, trying to cheer everyone up. Sellie got into it immediately. Soon, everyone was singing. Even Carrie had joined in, apparently deciding to party rather than mope. She began drinking, embracing the beer and letting everything else go. Luke loved that about Carrie. She never dwelled for long. She always picked herself back up and kept going.

"Nice work, Little Sandy," Sellie said affectionately. "You saved the night."

"It's what Sandmen do," Luke said with a grin. The Dudleys might be falling apart, but that didn't mean that everything else had to go with them. They were all professionals, and they were all family. They'd get through this, whatever it was, and one day very soon, they'd be putting on the first true ECW show in far too long. Maybe everyone else wanted to get caught up in soap opera bullshit, but Luke had his eye on the prize. If he had to be the one who focused everyone else, so be it, although it was certainly an unexpected role for him. He'd always been the wild child, the youngest member of their group of friends who _maybe_ drank too much but who always brought life to the party. Being responsible and focused was new for him, but for ECW, he would embrace it in a heartbeat.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

 _ **ABBY**_

Everyone had responded in some way that made it clear if they were Team Markie or Team Craig after Markie's very public meltdown at the party. Overwhelmingly, the girls had turned on Craig and Carrie, blaming him for being an idiot and believing Carrie was even worse. People knew Craig was a follower, so they assumed it had all been Carrie's fault... Even Abby knew it had been Carrie's idea, but she also knew that Craig had willingly gone along with it. Carrie wasn't solely to blame.

Even Chris and Felicia seemed to be on Markie's side. Artie, of course, stood with her. Kim desperately wanted everyone to be friends again, but she also made it clear she thought Carrie was a scumbag. Briana was ready to beat them both. Phil seemed pretty convinced Craig was to blame and Carrie was just being Carrie, but even he was avoiding her. Aiden had immediately declared he was a neutral party, but even he seemed to be leaning more toward Markie's side. Luke was furious with the incredibly bad timing and was trying to find a way to keep everyone focused on ECW. Turner was still an outsider, but even he agreed Craig and Carrie had fucked up.

The scariest part was that Evan had turned on his sister. He blamed Craig, too, but as far as he was concerned, Carrie had risked everything they'd all been fighting for. He'd refused to speak to her for two days. Vinny had tried to be there for Carrie, but even he seemed lost on how to react to this. Abby knew he was angry at Carrie for hurting Markie like that.

For two days, Abby had hidden from everyone else. She hated being caught in the middle of this. Carrie was her best friend in the world, but she'd fucked up majorly. She couldn't just let her off the hook for this one. Not only had she hurt Markie for absolutely no real reason, but she'd driven a wedge between everyone in their group just as they needed to stand together the most. This had gotten very ugly very fast.

Her phone rang, and Abby was going to ignore it, but then she saw that it was Luke. She picked up. "What's up?" She asked.

"Abs... I need your help," he said.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... A little drunk, but fine. I'm calling because Carrie's not okay."

"What happened?" A million scenarios ran through Abby's mind.

"She's at the bar I'm at." Abby didn't even blink at that. Luke had an exceptionally convincing fake ID. "She's plastered, Abby... Way worse than I am. I'm worried something will happen if someone doesn't drive her home, but I'm not sober enough... I mean... It's an emergency, and I _think_ I'm okay to drive, but I'm definitely over the limit and-"

"I'm on my way," Abby said quickly. She knew if Luke was calling, it was bad, and she wouldn't risk him getting behind the wheel of a car. He'd barely been driving for six months, and even if he'd been driving longer, if he was drunk, that was too dangerous.

"Thanks."

"Just keep her there, okay? Don't let her leave."

"Okay," Luke promised.

Abby got in her car and started driving. She might be mad at Carrie, but she wouldn't leave her in a situation where she might try to drive drunk. Carrie had shown she wasn't exactly making good decisions lately.

 _ **CARRIE**_

When Carrie Heyman did something, she never did it small. If she did something great, she went above and beyond... And if she fucked up, she did so on an epic level.

 _I'm never going to be able to fix this one,_ she realized as she tossed back another drink. She stood and headed to the restroom, then stared at her reflection with mixed feelings. Usually, she never questioned her choices, but this time, it was different. She genuinely hadn't set out to destroy Markie and Craig's relationship, but she'd been so focused on her "great" idea that she hadn't seen the possibility of consequences.

"You're a real asshole, Carrie Heyman," she told her reflection. She felt sorry for herself for a split second before she frowned. "You have no right to feel sorry for yourself," she said firmly. "Feel sorry for Markie. Feel sorry for Craig. They're the ones whose lives you fucked up." She sighed. She had to fix this. Somehow, she'd make it up to them, but first, she should probably sober up.

Carrie suddenly felt sick. She ran to a stall and puked up everything she'd drunk since Markie had (rightfully) slapped her. That quite possibly included more booze than Sandman had in his system after a show. She rinsed her mouth in the sink and realized she needed to knock her shit off. Even her brother hated her. She'd definitely gone too far this time.

She walked toward the door and realized she was not alone. A man jumped out of the handicapped stall and pulled her inside. Carrie tried to scream, but he covered her mouth. She bit his hand. He pulled out a knife and put it to her throat.

"Come on, Beautiful," he said. "Don't be like that."

Carrie struggled to clear her head enough to think. Normally, she could easily defend herself, but she was drunk, exhausted, and weak from throwing up and a lack of food.

" _Carrie swallows_ , right?" He asked with a sadistic laugh. He pushed her onto her knees between him and the toilet and said, "Let's see if it's true."

"How did you find me?" Carrie asked as she realized he knew exactly who she was.

"We'll call it inside information."

"You knew I'd be here."

He unzipped himself. "Yeah. Now shut up." He shoved himself into her open mouth, so Carrie did the only thing she could and bit him... Extremely hard. She tasted blood, which was kind of satisfying.

He curses and slammed her head against the toilet. Carrie was pissed now. She didn't care how drunk she was. She was going to get out of this.

He shoved her against the wall of the stall. Carrie had on a skirt, so he pulled that up. She thanked God she'd decided to wear underwear for once. He had to move that aside, which gave her the opportunity to stomp on his foot. He loosened his grip and she swept his legs out. She then slammed _his_ head against the toilet before she ran for the door.

Her head was spinning and she tripped. He caught up to her and threw her on her back. He put the knife against her throat. "Try it again and I'll fucking _kill_ you. He doesn't care if you don't survive," he said. "He _especially_ hates _you_."

" _Who_ does?" Carrie asked, finally truly scared. Very few things in her life frightened Carrie, but the idea that someone had sent somebody to fucking _rape_ her was pretty damn terrifying.

"Shut up, Bitch!" And with that, he got what he was after. She didn't let herself care. She could freak out later. What she needed to do now was survive, and since she was in a dive bar with almost no other women, she knew the chances of anyone coming in to save her were slim. She focused on his movement. If she could time it right...

Carrie realized every time he thrust up, his grip loosened. She waited for the right moment and pulled her hand loose, immediately elbowing him in the face. He stumbled off of her and she grabbed the knife, not even hesitating before she stabbed him in the groin.

He cursed, but Carrie was able to get away at that point. She ran straight out the door, but didn't make it far as she realized how sore she was. Rough sex didn't bother her, but this was something very different. She tried not to focus on it as she attempted to control her breathing. That was when Luke came into the secluded corridor leading to the restrooms.

"Carrie?" He paused, taking in what he was seeing. "Jesus," he whispered.

"I'm fine," Carrie said quickly. "Let's just go."

"Where the fuck is he?" Luke demanded.

"Luke-"

"Answer me, Carrie. Where is he? Because I don't care who he is, he's a dead man."

She felt tears in her eyes and blinked them back. She wouldn't cry. That was unacceptable. She was Carrie Fucking Heyman. She didn't cry, and she didn't break, and she sure as _hell_ didn't get raped in some dirty bathroom in a dive bar. That wasn't who she was.

"I'm okay, Luke," she said softly.

He touched her cheek and wiped away a bastard tear that had managed to slip by her. "Carrie…" He whispered. He pulled her into his arms and Carrie felt comfort in his embrace. Luke was no threat to her. She didn't break down, but she did let a few more tears escape before she pulled herself together. She refused to let go of Luke for a moment.

"I'm okay," she said again.

" _He_ won't be. Is he still here?"

She nodded. "He's in the bathroom, Luke."

"Men's or women's?"

"Women's."

"Stay here." He headed toward the restroom and Carrie almost stayed, but then she decided she couldn't leave him alone with that creep. She wouldn't forgive herself if Luke got hurt because of her. She'd already destroyed Markie and Craig. She wasn't planning on adding Luke to the list.

 _ **LUKE**_

He hated himself for not checking on Carrie sooner. He'd realized she'd been gone for too long, but he figured she might be getting sick… He'd never expected _this_ …

He saw the bastard as he barely got back on his feet. His groin was bleeding. _Way to go, Carrie,_ he thought. The son of a bitch had deserved worse, and he was about to get it. If there was one thing Luke hated more than anything in the world, it was a rapist.

He grabbed the asshole by his throat and squeezed. "You like to pick on girls?" He demanded.

The guy tried to fight back. He even managed to free himself, so Luke improvised. He threw several punches before the bastard ran. Luke ran right after him. They were in the corridor with very little to use as a weapon, but Luke was an ECW legacy. He could make a weapon out of pretty much anything. He spotted an abandoned barstool that had been left there and picked it up. He swung it at the guy's head with as much force as he could.

The guy hit the floor. Luke hit him again for good measure, then took Carrie's hand. "It's okay. I'm calling the cops," he said.

He pulled out his phone. "Luke!" Carrie cried out. Before he could turn around, Carrie had picked up the stool and was swinging it at the guy as he tried to lunge at Luke.

Luke took the stool back from Carrie and smashed it. He grabbed one of the legs and began swinging it like a kendo stick, beating the ever-living shit out of the bastard.

"What the hell is going on?" A man Luke recognized as one of the bartenders demanded.

"He deserves it!" Luke said before resuming the beating.

"I'm calling the cops!" He said. He ran off to presumably do that.

"Luke! Luke, we have to go!" Carrie said.

"Carrie, this guy-" Luke began.

"I _know_ what he did, alright? But you're about to get arrested, and so am I."

"Oh my God!" Abby cried as she arrived. "What the fuck happened?"

"This prick has to pay!" Luke said. "Help me beat his ass!"

"Carrie, what the hell?" Abby demanded.

"He raped me," Carrie said tonelessly.

Abby stopped dead in her tracks. "What?" She asked.

"He hid in the bathroom and waited for me, and after I puked my brains out from drinking too much, he jumped out."

"Carrie… Oh shit, Carrie… You're bleeding." Abby touched her head gently. Luke heard Carrie wince, so he hit the guy again.

"I'll be okay. He hits like a bitch." Carrie still sounded terrifyingly detached.

"I'm going to kill him," Luke informed them calmly. "Want to help?"

"Carrie, how'd you get away?" Abby asked gently.

"I stabbed him in his dick," Carrie replied in the same tone.

"Good for you."

"See?" Luke asked. "We agree. Now let's finish this fucking scumbag." He hit him again.

Abby took the chair leg away. "Luke, stop! If you kill him, you and Carrie are going to go to jail. Right now, it's self-defense, but if you keep beating the shit out of someone who can't fight back, it changes things."

"He's a _rapist,_ Abby! He deserves to fucking die," Luke insisted.

"He does, but how do you think Carrie will feel if you go to jail for protecting her?"

Luke sighed. He stood over the guy, unwilling to risk him attacking again. "Someone sent him," Carrie said after a minute.

It was clear she was in shock, but her words were alarming. "What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"He said it… He said someone sent him after me… That he had inside information about where I'd be tonight… This wasn't random." Carrie began shaking slightly, but her voice remained steady. "I don't know who did it, or why, but someone wanted this to happen."

"When the police come, don't say anything," Abby said. "You need a lawyer. Both of you."

"Okay, me maybe, but Carrie defended herself from a man who was raping her," Luke said. "Why would she need a lawyer? She was within her rights."

"Just to be safe."

The guy suddenly moved and tried to grab Abby's leg. Abby reacted by crying out and giving a swift kick to the guy's head. That, of course, was when the police showed up.

"You three! You're under arrest!" One of the officers said.

Carrie looked at them and suddenly, she was Carrie Heyman again, not the girl in shock. Luke could see the trauma beneath the surface, but Carrie hid it well. She was playing a role. She was cutting a promo. She was going to say exactly what needed to be said. "That man is a _rapist!_ " She said firmly. "He raped me in the bathroom, and I barely escaped, and when he came after me again, my friends stepped in to protect me. He's a _monster_ , Officers. Please… You _have_ to arrest him."

"It's true," Abby added quickly. "Look at her. You can tell he attacked her."

"Okay, we're taking _all_ of you to the station. We'll sort this out there and get you all any medical help that's required," a second officer said.

"Wait… I know you," the first said. "You're wrestlers, right? Sandman's kid, and, uh… Carrie Heyman, right? And aren't you Abby Styles?"

 _This could go in our favor or screw us very quickly,_ Luke thought.

"Yes, Sir," Abby said. "And this man attacked Carrie. He's a very dangerous individual. Carrie needs a doctor. Please, don't arrest her."

"I'm sorry, we have to until we can figure out exactly what happened… But we will get you medical help at the station."

"Just take me to a hospital and do a rape kit," Carrie said tonelessly. The character was gone. She couldn't keep up the act, and that terrified Luke. "You'll have all of the evidence you need."

"You're awfully calm about all of this," a third officer said suspiciously as he cuffed the man who'd attacked Carrie.

"I can handle what equates to a GYN exam. What I _can't_ handle is the idea of me or either of my friends sitting in a prison for what _he_ did."

They led them out quickly. Carrie got to ride in an ambulance to the hospital. The attacker was taken to another hospital. Luke and Abby, however, were taken to the precinct, where they would spend the next several hours of their lives being grilled like they were engaged in some conspiracy to frame a guy for rape. They didn't even let them make a phone call at first, so Abby immediately insisted on a lawyer being called, and neither of them said a word after that.

 _ **EVAN**_

He was going to ignore the call when he saw his sister's name on the Caller ID, but something told him to pick it up. "What?" He asked coldly.

"Ev…" His sister said. Even the single syllable made her voice crack.

Evan couldn't ignore this. "Carrie, what's wrong?" He asked, afraid of the answer. Very little left his sister genuinely shaken up.

"Something… Someone… Um…" Carrie seemed to be struggling to find the words. Finally, she just said, "I couldn't call Dad… Not this time… Please… Evan, I need you."

"What happened? Where are you?"

"The hospital… The one I went to when I broke my ankle last year."

"The hospital? Carrie, what the hell is going on?"

"I… Someone sent a guy after me, Evan… He was hiding, and he… And I… I need… I need you."

Somehow, Evan knew what had happened, but it seemed impossible. Carrie was insanely tough. No one ever touched her and got away with it unless she wanted them to. "Carrie… Okay… Okay, I'm on my way."

"Luke and Abby got arrested… I still might, too."

"I'll call a lawyer. It'll be okay, Carrie. I promise. I'm coming, alright?"

"Okay… Okay, thank you."

Evan drove faster than he'd ever driven in his life. When he was finally able to see Carrie, he knew his assumption had been right. "I'll kill him," he mumbled as he hugged her. "Whoever he is, I'll kill him…"

"I'm okay," Carrie insisted.

"You're not okay."

She sighed. "I'm not okay. But I deserve it, Evan. I'm a horrible fucking person, and this is what happens to bad people… Karma gets them." He searched her tone for hints of her saying this to try to manipulate people, but he could tell she didn't want sympathy. She was genuinely numb and in shock. She was just saying whatever popped into her head, and she actually believed what she was claiming.

"Carrie! Don't even _say_ that!" He shook his head and held her tighter. "You did something really awful… _Really_ awful. It hurt two of our friends and it jeopardized everything… But no one deserves this. Absolutely _no one._ " He sighed. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, but I swear to God, he'll pay for it."

"He did. Luke nearly killed him… And I… Well… I'll be surprised if he can get it up anymore." She started to laugh almost manically. "Oh God… Oh, fuck, Evan… This happened. This actually fucking _happened_ … I… No. No, I'm not going to think about this."

"It's going to be okay, Carrie." He had no idea how, but he'd make sure of it. He had to protect her, and he was incredibly upset that someone had dared to hurt her. All he wanted to do was murder the son of a bitch, but he couldn't do that. He'd have to settle for trying to help her now.

"I'm sorry I called you… I know you hate me right now, but… But I couldn't call Daddy… I couldn't…" Carrie said, her voice trembling.

"Carrie…" He shook his head. "I don't hate you. I couldn't if I tried. I'm really mad at you, but you're my baby sister. I love you."

"I love you, too, Ev…" She buried her face in his chest and allowed herself to cry. Carrie never cried in front of anyone except Evan. He held her and let her get it out, then passed her a tissue so she could pretend she'd never broken in the first place.

 _ **ABBY**_

When they'd finally allowed her to make a phone call, Abby had done the only sensible thing… "Tommy? Um… I need your help. I sort of got arrested with Luke and Carrie…" Abby began.

Tommy sighed. "Which precinct?" He asked. Abby gave him the location. "I'm on my way," he promised. He'd shown up twenty minutes later.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"I just kicked the guy in the head, but the cops happened to see it happen," Abby began. "Luke, though… He beat the hell out of him, Tommy. He's in a lot of trouble."

"Why'd he do it?"

"The bastard-" She paused. She knew Carrie might not want this to get around, but it was Tommy. He was the one who they called when they couldn't call anyone else. She sighed. "The guy we got arrested over raped Carrie. _Tonight_. She barely got away."

Tommy's eyes flashed with rage. "How bad is she?" He asked, biting his words, obviously wanting to curse his head off.

"She's in the hospital. They're doing a rape kit that will hopefully get all of us off the hook… But she looked pretty bad, and her head was cracked open."

"Son of a bitch…" He shook his head. "Where's Luke?"

"In with the lawyer."

"Okay. And the piece of shit who did this?"

"He's in another hospital, hopefully dying on the operating room table."

"Right."

"Tommy, there's more… Carrie said he was talking about someone sending him after her. Someone _sent_ a guy to rape Carrie."

"What the fuck?" Tommy demanded. "Why would anyone do that?"

"I don't know… But I have a feeling that, whatever this is, it's not over." Abby tried not to let on how scared she was. If this had just been the first strike, who knew what would come next?

"Alright… Let me get you kids off the hook, and then I'll see what we can do about the rest." Tommy disappeared. Shortly after, Abby heard his raised voice making some very big and very loud points about how much the police were failing the clear victims of the incident. Abby didn't hear everything, but within twenty minutes, the police came over to her looking mildly afraid for their lives and Abby knew Tommy had gone straight-up Innovator of Violence on them. Tommy could be pretty scary if you actually managed to piss him off. It took a lot.

"You're free to go," one said.

"And Luke and Carrie?" Abby asked.

"Ms. Heyman is also free. The man who attacked her will be charged once he's awake."

"What about Luke?"

"We're holding him. He's underage and has a blood alcohol level that is alarmingly high."

A different office spoke up and said, "I think we need to let the kid off with a fine."

"A fine? Are you serious?"

"I'm the senior officer here."

"Yes, Sir…" The first officer walked away looking annoyed but not daring to challenge the senior officer.

The senior officer looked at Abby. When no one else was around, he said, "The creep got what he deserved. As far as I'm concerned, your friend Luke is a hero. Besides, his father's fantastic. I met him as a kid. I love that guy…" He paused. "Free E-C-Dub, right?"

Abby grinned. _Thank God,_ she thought. "Thank you, Officer," she said.

"Frank… Abby."

"Thank you, Frank."

"Fan or not, I'd have thrown the book at the kid if I thought he deserved it… But he just beat down a rapist, and if that doesn't earn him one get out of jail free card, what does?" He winked at her. "Our little secret, okay?"

Abby nodded. Luke came running out a minute later. He threw his arms around Tommy looking like the little kid he'd been years before. "Thank you!" He cried out. "I thought I was fucked."

"You almost were," Abby said. "ECW saved your ass."

Luke didn't question that. Instead, he hugged her, too. Then he said, "Since we're free, can we go to the hospital and check on Carrie? I just… I think we should be there right now."

"You don't even have to ask, Kid," Tommy said. He led them to his car and they headed to the hospital.

When they arrived, Evan ducked his head out of the room and joined them. "They sedated her. She was okay until they told her she needed to get some sleep. She insisted she wasn't tired, but they said she needs rest to heal," he said.

"Is she going to be alright?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah… They're just keeping her overnight in case of any complications… Her head's not that bad. They don't even think she's concussed, just exhausted."

"Okay. Do you want us to call your dad?"

"Carrie doesn't want him to know."

"Evan… We can't keep this from him."

"I know… But give her a night. We can do that, right?"

"Alright," Tommy agreed. "Luke, Abby… Do either of you want to go home?"

"No way," Luke said. "I'm staying until she wakes up."

"Me, too," Abby said. She knew she couldn't just let Carrie off the hook for what she'd done, but for tonight, she was putting it aside. Carrie needed to know she still had people who'd be there for her when it counted. That was what family was about. Family loved you even when you fucked up.

They stayed in the waiting room. Luke eventually passed out from exhaustion beside her. Abby pulled him closer, letting his head rest in her lap. Evan kept going in and out of Carrie's room to check on her, but when he wasn't by her side, he was with Abby, Luke, and Tommy. Eventually, Abby focused on the sound of Luke breathing and fell asleep, too. It had been a very long night.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

 _ **EVAN**_

His night had been spent with Tommy refusing to let him wander off on his own just in case this was about ECW and not just Carrie. Evan was beyond stressed out. Tommy had called Mark, who'd immediately rushed to the hospital. They spent the rest of the night discussing conspiracy theories while Luke and Abby slept.

"Where's Markie?" Evan finally asked.

"I don't know. Her phone's going straight to voicemail," Mark said. He sounded very worried.

"I'm sure she's fine, Mark," Tommy said. "She's just avoiding everyone."

"Maybe Artie knows where she is?" Evan suggested.

"The boyfriend! Why didn't _I_ think of that?" Mark asked sarcastically. "I tried that, Evan. He's as clueless as the rest of us."

"Do you really think this is about more than just my sister pissing someone off? Because she excels at that."

"The timing suggests it's about all of you pissing off a certain pageant boy," Mark said. "I don't buy that being some coincidence."

"Paul's crossed a lot of lines... But having a girl _raped?"_ Tommy asked. "He has daughters. Would he really do that?"

"The kids humiliated him, Tommy. Especially Carrie and..." Mark lowered his voice before saying, "Abby."

Tommy automatically stroked Abby's hair protectively. "We need to keep them safe until we know what's going on," he said. "Especially Abby. She fights with words, not fists. I'm not sure she could defend herself if someone went after her physically."

"This is insane," Evan said, shaking his head.

Mark mumbled in agreement before dialing a number. "Learn to pick up your phone, Kid!" He growled. "Call me back as soon as you get this."

They talked all night, but could only come to one conclusion. As much as it looked like Triple H was behind this, they had absolutely no proof. He had a hell of a motive, but that didn't mean he'd done it. They couldn't do anything legally about this.

"She's awake," a nurse said to Evan. "She's asking for you."

Evan excused himself and headed in to see his sister. He knew it was going to be an uphill battle to convince Carrie to tell their father the truth, but it needed to happen. Whether she knew it or not, Carrie needed him more than ever.

 _ **LUKE**_

He was barely awake. Mark handed him, Tommy, and Abby coffee before downing some of his own. Luke savored the caffeine.

A short while later, the officer from the night before who'd let him off approached. Luke tensed up automatically. He'd been insanely lucky the night before, but what if the cops had changed their minds?

"I'm sorry to bother you all," the officer began apologetically. "There's been a development. Now, I want to start by saying no charges are being filed. Ms. Heyman's exam more than proved that she was assaulted, and the man you attacked had a very lengthy criminal history-"

"Had?" Abby asked, catching the word.

"He died from his injuries."

Luke stared at him. "He's... He's dead?" He asked.

"Yes. We don't officially know the cause, but it appears to be from the beating he suffered. He experienced extreme head trauma."

"Are you sure we don't have to worry about any of them facing a murder charge?" Tommy asked.

"I stand by my assessment that Mr. Fullington was defending himself and Ms. Heyman. While the assault may seem excessive, according to Ms. Heyman, he kept coming back at them. Mr. Fullington had every reason to believe their lives were in danger."

Luke wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand, the bastard had raped Carrie. Luke had declared he'd kill him, but he hadn't actually intended for it to go that far. He'd never killed anyone before, and knowing he'd taken a man's life hurt him in a way he hadn't expected. Had he gone too far? Did he have a choice? Had he been too drunk to think of a better way to handle things? A million thoughts raced through his head.

"Luke?" Tommy called gently.

Luke stared at him, not sure how to process anything or what to say. The cop had vanished. Luke had no idea how much time had passed. Tommy put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright," he promised. "I'm going to call your dad, okay?"

Luke nodded numbly. Maybe he did need his dad. Maybe he could somehow make this make sense. Abby handed him a tissue and Luke realized he had started to cry. He quickly wiped away all evidence of this and blew his nose.

"Fucking allergies, man," he said lamely.

"Yeah," Abby said gently. "They suck."

Luke sighed. "I need a drink," he mumbled.

"It's eleven AM," Abby pointed out.

"I'm past due then," Luke replied. "I'm going for a walk. Let me know when my dad shows up?"

"Sure... Do you want company?"

"No... I'll be fine. I just need a break."

Abby nodded and let him go. Luke walked outside and didn't stop until he found a fairly secluded spot. Only then did he sit on the grass and pull his knees to his chest. Panic attacks were completely foreign to him, but as he lost the ability to breathe, he figured that's what was happening to him now.

He stopped trying to be fine and began sobbing, unable to hold it in anymore. He'd killed a man... It didn't matter if he was a monster... Luke was a killer now... He'd always been the guy who was good for a laugh and a drink. Outside of the ring, he was rarely violent, and it had never come close to going this far before. Suddenly, he felt completely alone. For the first time in a long time, Luke wasn't sure how to fix everything. He wasn't even sure how to fix himself.

 _ **CARRIE**_

She'd finally agreed to let Evan call her father. As he came into the room, he looked broken. Tommy was with him, although Carrie wasn't sure why. "Carrie... Sweetheart..." Her father started to say.

"I'm sorry, Daddy!" Carrie blurted out. "I should have listened to you! Carrie Swallows was a terrible idea... You were right..." She started to cry.

"Oh, Carrie... Honey, none of that matters..."

"He said it... He... He wanted to test if it was true..." She shook her head. "You were right!"

"Shhhh now," he said gently. He held her and suddenly, Carrie was a little girl again and the only safe place was in her father's arms.

"Daddy... I'm so sorry," she said. "I know I disgraced the family name-"

"Carrie Heyman, don't you even _think_ that! This isn't your fault." Her father paused. "Why weren't you with her, Evan?" He demanded.

"I... She went out drinking," Evan said.

"She shouldn't have been in a place like that alone! I know you were mad at her, but how could you just turn your back on her?"

Evan's face fell. Tommy stepped in and Carrie understood why he was there now. "Paul, back off of Evan. He's not her keeper," Tommy said. "He's not required to be with her all the time. Carrie's an adult."

"He's her brother! He's supposed to watch out for her, but instead, he turned his back on her and left her defenseless!"

"Carrie's hardly defenseless. What happened is horrible, but it's not Evan's fault."

"But he left her alone!"

"Dad! Stop!" Carrie shouted, causing everyone to stare at her. "This isn't Evan's fault. At all."

"Carrie-"

"Look. _I_ went to a crappy dive bar no Heyman would ever set foot in. _I_ isolated myself because I did something awful to my friends. _I_ chose to get drunk because I felt sorry for myself, even though I had no right to. _I_ did all that. Me. Not Evan." She was shaking. "This is my fault," she whispered.

"No it's not," Tommy, her father, and Evan said in unison.

"At least we agree on that much," her father said.

"I just want this to be over and done with," Carrie said. "The cops have the guy."

"Carrie..." Tommy sighed. "He's dead, honey... He can't hurt you anymore."

"He died?" Carrie couldn't process that. "Are we going to jail?"

"Of course not!" Her father said. "You defended yourself and Luke and Abby protected you. They aren't facing charges."

"But... He's dead... And... And we don't know who sent him after me." Carrie felt sick. The monster behind this was still out there.

"We'll find out, Carrie," Tommy promised. "And he'll have hell to pay."

Carrie nodded numbly. "I'm tired," she said. "I'd like to rest until they release me."

"Of course," her father said. He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad." She waited for them to leave before starting to cry. This was not who she was, but she couldn't help it. She had no idea how to handle any of this.

 _I'm going to be the first Heyman in history to need therapy,_ she thought. She was mildly ashamed of that, but at the same time, she couldn't keep feeling like this. It would consume her. She'd seen enough people spiral into depression to recognize the signs. "Just for a little bit," she decided aloud. "A few sessions spent talking about all of this shit and you'll be good as new." She hoped it was true, but for the first time in her life, Carrie was worried she wouldn't just be able to bounce back from life's latest curve ball.

 _ **MARKIE**_

It had surprised her when Vinny, of all people, had shown up on her doorstep. He'd suggested they go hang out for a bit, and Markie had agreed. They'd spent two full days together, crashing in a hotel at some point. Markie's phone had died and Vinny had simply opted to turn his off. They both needed a break.

As it had turned out, Vinny had been as angry with Carrie as everyone else. He'd been leaning on her since Aly's death and her actions had shown him she wasn't so trustworthy after all. Instead of being her faithful lap dog, Vinny had checked on Markie.

Even more surprising was how much the two of them had laughed in the last two days. Vinny's sarcasm and easy-going nature had made Markie comfortable right away, and she'd actually gotten a lot of her emotions off her chest. She felt a lot better, and she let Vinny vent, too. Then they'd decided to say fuck everything and they'd been running around Pennsylvania sightseeing ever since. It wasn't far from home, but it was far enough to release all of their stress without finding more.

"I can't believe how toned you are with how much junk you consume daily," Vinny teased her.

"And how would you know how toned I am?" Markie teased him. "Have you been checking me out?"

"No! I-" Vinny actually blushed, causing Markie to laugh. "I know how toned _everyone_ is! I'm a personal trainer!"

"So you know how toned, say, Evan is?"

"Well, yeah. We trained together before he decided managing was his thing, not wrestling."

"And is he toned?"

"Extremely. The guy's in great shape. He's a natural athlete. Honestly, it's tragic he won't wrestle."

"So you checked him out thoroughly?"

"No, I just-"

"I didn't know you swung both ways, Vinny!" Markie teased him. "Feeling up the boys, too!"

"I don't- That's not-"

Markie couldn't stop laughing. "You're way too easy," she informed him.

"And you're a little bit evil."

"That's true." She paused. "I should probably charge my phone," Markie said, finally plugging it in. As she turned it on, she saw she had eleven missed calls from her father. She checked the voicemails.

Each grew a little more desperate. Markie called her father. "What the hell, Dad?" She asked.

"Where are you?" Her father replied. The relief was clear in his voice.

"I'm in Pennsylvania with Vinny."

"You're with Vinny?"

"Yeah. Why?"

He actually let out a sigh of relief. "Nothing, Kiddo. Have fun. Just have Vinny bring you home whenever, okay? Make sure he does that."

"Dad... What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just want you safe."

"You're a bad liar."

"Something happened, Markie... But don't worry about it. Just stay safe."

"Dad-"

"I love you, Kiddo."

"I love you, too..."

He hung up and Markie knew something was seriously up. Vinny's face as he hung up his own phone confirmed this.

"What's going on?" Markie asked.

"Evan's been trying to call me," Vinny said numbly.

"What happened?"

"It's Carrie... Carrie's in the hospital."

"In the hospital?" As much as Markie was pissed at Carrie, she was concerned. "Is she okay?"

"No... No, she's not."

"Vinny... What happened?" It could have been anything. Carrie tended to get into trouble.

"She..." He shook his head. "She was attacked. Evan wouldn't tell me much, but his tone... Markie, I think... Never mind."

"No, it's okay. Tell me."

"You shouldn't have to worry about Carrie after what she did to you."

"Look, Carrie's an idiot, but I believe her when she says she thought she was helping. The bitch has a warped mind... But she's family, Vinny. And no matter what, I want to know what happened to her."

"Someone raped her, Markie. Someone _raped_ Carrie." Vinny looked torn between slaughtering a small village and crying.

She stared at him. It couldn't be true... Could it? "But... It's Carrie," she said lamely.

"Evan said she was drunk and weak and the guy caught her by surprise."

Suddenly, the horror of what he was saying set in. "Let's go," she said.

"What?"

"We need to go to the hospital. Carrie needs you... And as pissed as I am, no one deserves to go through that. Ever. So she needs to know she has people behind her." She sighed. "She's family, Vinny. And even when family fucks up, if everything goes to hell, they are there for each other."

Vinny stared at her in wonder. "You're an amazing human being, Markie," he said.

"You can admire me later," she said with a laugh. "Let's go."

 _ **BRIANA**_

Her father had called asking her to round up anyone she could to come to the hospital. He said it was urgent, so Briana had called in everyone she could. By the time she'd gotten Vinny, he and Markie were already on their way. She'd refused to call Craig. It seemed like a very bad idea to have him and Markie in the same place.

Everyone else was gathered in the waiting room. It was Evan who took charge of their spontaneous meeting. "My sister was attacked last night," he said.

"Attacked? What do you mean?" Briana asked.

"Is she okay?" Kim added.

"She finally agreed to let me tell you all, but this doesn't leave our circle, alright?" Evan asked. Everyone nodded. "Carrie was raped last night."

Kim gasped in horror. Briana felt Phil tense in anger beside her. Everyone looked upset or angry. "Where is the son of a bitch?" Briana asked. "I'll fucking kill him myself."

"I already did," Luke said.

"What?" Briana asked.

"Yep. I'm a killer. I beat his ass and he died." Briana could hear the detached tone Luke was using and it worried her.

"It could have been me," Abby said. "That final kick to his head could have sealed his fate."

"Stepping foot in that bar sealed his fate," Evan said. "Once he decided to target my sister, he wasn't walking away with a pulse."

"It's awful what happened," Briana said, "but why bring us all here?"

"It wasn't random. Someone sent this guy after my sister," Evan said. "He told her as much."

"Who would do that?" Felicia asked in horror.

"The Pageant Boy," Briana said.

"No, Bri! Paul's known most of us since we were in diapers! He wouldn't do that," Kim said.

"He's the one with the biggest motive." She shook her head. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"No it doesn't. We got ECW, but so what? That doesn't justify this shit," Phil said.

"But we humiliated him. And he's a McMahon by marriage. It's in him to do something horrible as revenge for that."

Phil shook his head. "Bastard," he mumbled.

"That's cold, but I believe it," Turner said.

"If it was the Pageant Boy, then none of us are safe," Abby said. "So we stay together. Don't go anywhere alone if it can be avoided. Look out for each other."

"Constant vigilance, man," Aiden added.

"Exactly."

"Is there anything we can do for Carrie?" Chris asked.

"Just... Let her know you don't hate her," Evan said. "I think that's all we can do right now."

"We're here," Markie said. "We don't hate her... I may feel like kicking her ass, but I don't hate her. And I don't think she deserved this."

"Tell her that. From you, especially, that's important. She thinks with everything she did to you, she deserved this."

"Of course she didn't deserve it." Markie shook her head. "It's hard to hate a girl when she's down. I just feel sorry this happened to her."

"We all do," Briana said. No matter what, Carrie was their family. She'd find a way to make the Pageant Boy pay for this.

 _ **FELICIA**_

She had needed to get away from everyone. Felicia wanted to be there for Carrie, but she couldn't do it there, in that hospital.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked gently. He'd followed her to keep an eye on her.

"No," Felicia admitted.

"I noticed this whole thing freaked you out."

"It's more than that... I want to be here for Carrie, but..." She hesitated. "Chris, did Phil ever tell you that we ran away from home when we were thirteen?"

"No, but I don't talk to Phil much. What happened?"

Felicia hesitated. "I don't talk about it... Phil doesn't even have the details... But it's all coming back to the surface right now, and I can't... I'll hurt myself if I try to keep it in."

"Talk to me, Felicia. I'm good with secrets."

"Sometimes, my father has trouble paying his dealer... So he offers them something else."

"Felicia..."

"It happened a few times over the years... But when I was thirteen, he got in too deep... He owed so much that... Well, lending me out for an hour or two wasn't good enough. He gave me to him for an entire week... Told him he could do whatever he wanted with me..." She started to cry.

"Oh, God," Chris whispered.

"When I finally went home, I wasn't speaking. I couldn't... I'd cried and begged and pled with him not to hurt me... Not to make me... Not to share me..." Her voice cracked. "It didn't matter, so I stopped saying anything at all."

Chris pulled Felicia into his arms protectively. "Bastards," he whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

"Phil knew it was bad because of how deeply I retreated into myself... So he took me, and we ran. Dad found us and convinced us it would be different if we went home, and we didn't really have a choice... So I was back home, and it was almost okay... Until a couple of months later, when I realized..." Felicia shook her head. "I can't."

"It's okay," Chris said gently. "You can tell me."

"I was pregnant, Chris... And when I went to my mom for help, my dad found out, and he... I was in the hospital for three weeks. I miscarried, and I needed time to recover from that and from the beating... He'd never been that angry before. He told me I was worthless and stupid for getting myself knocked up, but... But I didn't choose it. I was... His dealer forced me to... Over and over... With him and his friends..." She closed her eyes and flashed back too deeply.

She was hysterical when Chris pulled her back into his arms. She struggled for a minute before she realized who he was.

"It's okay, Felicia," he said softly. "I won't let anyone hurt you like that ever again."

Felicia looked at him in confusion. She could tell he meant his words, but why did he care? "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out," Felicia said softly.

"You're entitled with what you've been through."

"You must think I'm disgusting... Used and dirty and awful..."

"No. I don't think that at all."

She stared at him, searching for a lie. She found none. "I do. I think it every time I look in a mirror. I'm broken and hideous."

"That's not what I see." He gently touched her cheek, hesitant like he feared she might run. When she didn't, he leaned closer to her. He gave her cheek a quick kiss before looking into her eyes again. Felicia didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned in closer, feeling safer with Chris than she'd ever felt before in her life. He kissed her again, this time a quick, sweet, soft kiss on her lips.

She'd never kissed someone because she wanted to. In fact, Felicia was fairly certain she'd never want to at all... But now, feeling Chris so close to her, she didn't want him to go away. She moved closer to him, hovering with her mouth nearly touching his, but she was too shy to initiate anything else. Chris was shy, too, but he seemed to understand that she was giving him permission and he kissed her again. This time, his lips lingered longer.

Once he pulled away, Felicia rested her head on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Chris asked softly.

"I think so," she replied. He seemed content to leave it at that. He held her as she relaxed against him. This was a new feeling for her, but Felicia had to admit that she liked it. Maybe she wasn't completely broken after all.

 _ **TURNER**_

Since they were operating on the "buddy system," Turner had offered to walk Abby to the cafeteria. She ordered lunch without saying much of anything to him, so he finally asked, "Are you okay?"

"Physically, I'm fine," Abby replied. "Emotionally, I've been better."

"You're close to Carrie, right?"

"She's my best friend."

"I'm sorry."

"Me, too..." She sighed.

"Did you really kick the guy in the head?"

She laughed. "Yeah. He raped my friend and he touched my leg. It was a reflex."

"Good for you."

"Carrie stabbed him in the dick."

Turner laughed. "It's not funny, but damn! Good for her! He really picked the wrong target."

"That he did."

"So, Abby... Do you want to get out of here? You look like you need an escape."

"I can't leave until I know Carrie's okay."

"So after she gets released? Would you like a distraction?"

"I'd love one."

"You like cars... How do you feel about underground races?"

"Like drag racing?"

"Yeah, basically."

"They're illegal."

He grinned at her. "Hi. I'm Turner. Have we met?"

"Trouble maker, huh?"

"My record's still shorter than Nick Gage's. Barely."

She laughed. "So what? I go look at a bunch of cars raced by strangers?"

"Strangers and me."

"Your car can't handle that. The poor thing barely runs."

"I never said I'd be racing _my_ car."

Abby raised an eyebrow at that. "Okay," she said. "Why not?"

Turner's grin was bigger now. "Cool. They run races all day. We'll wait for Carrie to get out and then go find the next one."

He wasn't sure why he'd decided to adopt Abby for the day. She was kind of hot, sure, and she had a hell of a nice ass, but he barely knew her. Then again, she'd fixed his car. He kind of owed her… And he liked the idea of spending time with her again. It could be fun.

They headed back to the waiting area and stopped discussing their plans, but he was already thinking about racing that night. It had been a while since he'd done it, but he enjoyed the speed. He loved driving other people's cars. Not all of them were willingly donated for racing, but Turner chose not to ask questions about the cars he ended up in. All that mattered to him was that he got to drive awesome cars way too fast, frequently for cash prizes. That was all he needed to motivate him. And if he happened to be attracted to a girl who knew more about cars than he did, it wasn't a bad hobby to have…

 _ **EVAN**_

He felt like the worst human being in the world. His father could easily make Evan feel like that with a few choice words. He'd failed Carrie. He couldn't just let that go.

He sat in the chapel, an ironic choice given he wasn't Catholic. It was the quietest place he could go, however, and he needed to get away from everyone for a little bit. Besides, this was the absolute last place his father would look for him.

"I'm so sorry, Carrie," Evan whispered. Of all of the horrible things that could have happened to his sister, he'd never imagined she might one day go through this. Carrie had always seemed untouchable, so much so that Evan sometimes forgot she was still young… Still vulnerable, beneath her tough, care-free exterior. He'd been so angry that he'd refused to talk to her, figuring she'd be fine on her own for a few days. He couldn't believe how wrong he'd been.

From the day she was born, Carrie had been his little sidekick. He'd protected her, he'd taught her everything he knew, and he'd loved her unconditionally. As she'd gotten older, he'd been happy to let her have the spotlight. He knew their father worshipped her and only focused on Evan as an afterthought, but it didn't usually bother him… But any time Carrie got into trouble, their father blamed him. Every time she so much as stubbed her toe, Evan was somehow at fault. Most of the time, Evan could deal with that burden, but now… The worst thing that could have happened to Carrie had happened, and their father blamed him, and the guilt of that was overwhelming. It threatened to crush Evan. He couldn't breathe…

"Evan?" A voice asked hesitantly.

Evan looked up and saw Kim. "Hey," he said, forcing his emotions down. He was good at that. He could do whatever he had to do. Heymans only broke down in private.

"The doctors said Carrie's being discharged. Your dad asked me to come find you," Kim said.

"What made you look here?" He asked, mildly impressed she'd located him.

"It was the last place anyone would look, so I looked here first." She smiled at him sadly.

"You're smarter than people give you credit for," Evan told her.

She offered him her hand. Evan took it and stood up, allowing Kim to lead him outside of the chapel. They got to Carrie's room as she came outside.

"Are you ready to go home?" Their father asked. He scowled at Evan when Carrie wasn't looking, apparently not happy that he'd disappeared on them.

"Extremely ready," Carrie said.

Their father reached for her, but it was Evan's hand that Carrie took. He could feel her trembling as she took the first few steps out toward everyone, but she held her head up and put on a brave face, hiding what she was clearly feeling.

"Wow. What a turn out," Carrie said to their friends. She paused when she saw Markie. Evan felt her stiffen. "Markie… Markie, I'm so sorry…"

"Shut up," Markie said. She pulled Carrie into a hug. "Forget that. Right now, you need your family, and we're here. That's all that matters."

Evan saw a couple of tears slip down his sister's cheeks as she hugged Markie, but she covered it well. When she pulled away, she was composed again. "Time to get the fuck out of here," she told everyone.

"You're a Heyman to the core," Evan said softly, so only she could hear. He knew his sister was broken, but she was damn determined to keep that from everyone else. Carrie squeezed his hand in response. Together, they walked out of the hospital and back to the real world. Evan hoped they were prepared for whatever would come next.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

 _ **KIM**_

She'd spent the better part of the last two days with Evan. He had taken time off of being the Face of ECW to take care of Carrie, but Kim was trying to make sure he also took care of himself. Today, however, she'd agreed to spend time with Jack.

He was a really good kisser. Kim loved that about him. She also loved the way he held her in his arms as they made out. Still, when her phone rang with _It's the End of the World,_ the song Evan entered to if he wasn't walking out with Carrie, she quickly broke the kiss and grabbed her phone just as Jack started to slide his hand under her shirt.

"Really?" Jack asked with a laugh. "Is that your sister's ring or something?"

"Of course not," Kim replied. "My entire family rings to _Man in the Box._ " She paused before answering. "Hey, Evan. What's up?"

Jack looked pretty annoyed, but he didn't say anything. "Nothing... I just needed to get away from my father for a minute," Evan replied.

"Is he still trying to blame everything on you?" Kim asked.

"No... But he's becoming increasingly neurotic. He snaps over every little thing right now. I started falling asleep at the table because I'm exhausted and he was talking about dragging me to an emergency room for some phantom illness. He hasn't been this paranoid since I almost died when I was six."

"How'd that happen?"

"Attack of the peanut butter monster."

"Right! I forgot about your peanut allergy."

"He wouldn't let me out of his sight for almost a month after that," Evan said with a laugh. "It's usually Carrie he hovers over... But she won't let him right now, so he's obsessing over me."

"You poor thing! Do you want to get away for a bit? You're always welcome here."

"Carrie needs me right now... But thanks. And I reserve the right to change my answer."

"Okay."

"I should go. Thanks for helping me catch a breather."

"Anytime, Ev." She hung up.

"Kim..." Jack began. "Is there something going on between you and Evan Heyman?"

"What? Of course not! Evan's just a friend, Jack."

"You keep dropping everything for him... Including me."

"Look, Evan's going through a hard time right now. He just needs a friend."

"Okay." Jack sighed. "I'm sorry. Where were we?"

"Right about here," Kim said flirtatiously. She began kissing him again.

Jack slipped his hand back under her shirt. She allowed it, liking the feeling of his flesh against hers. The kissing grew more intense and Jack gently pushed her onto her back, but when he started messing with his belt, she put her hand up to stop him.

"Jack," she said breathlessly. "That's far enough."

Jack looked frustrated. Kim figured most guys would in that situation, but they had only been together for a little while. She wasn't ready for things to go that far yet. She didn't sleep with a guy until she was sure their relationship was ready for that, and as much as she liked Jack, she knew they weren't there yet. It was way too soon.

"Okay," Jack said, pulling back. Kim could see how upset he was.

"It's just too soon," she told him.

"I get it," Jack said. "It's okay."

Kim could tell he was worried she had stopped being into him, but that wasn't true. For some reason, Jack thought she was into Evan, but that was ridiculous. "I still love you," she told him. "I just want to take things slow."

He nodded, relaxing slightly. "I love you, too," he told her. Maybe it was too soon for them to be saying that, but Kim fell in love easily. She meant it. Jack was a great guy. She really wanted their relationship to work out. At least he had respected her boundaries and wasn't trying to push sleeping together. A few of her exes had learned the hard way that no meant no. She'd introduced them to her kendo stick, and that usually ended up being followed by Briana doing the same once Kim told her what happened. Kim might be sweet, but she was the daughter of Tommy Dreamer and Beulah McGillicutty, and that meant she'd learned to defend herself at a very young age.

 _ **LUKE**_

He hadn't had much to drink since Carrie had been attacked. He'd killed a man while drunk. He didn't trust himself anymore.

Around everyone else, Luke smiled and pretended he was fine, but when he was alone, he could barely breathe. He was having panic attacks, and they were so foreign to him that he didn't have a clue what to do about them.

Normally, his father could fix anything, but his answer had been, "You did the right thing, Kiddo. I'm proud of you." He'd proceeded to pat him on the back and offer him a beer. That hadn't helped. How could murder be the right thing? Luke was at a complete loss. He wanted to chase this panic away with alcohol, but the thought of that only made him panic more. What if he lost control again? What if he killed someone else? What if-?

"Luke?" A voice asked. Luke realized where he'd wandered.

"Carrie... I..." He plastered a brave smile on his face. "I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?"

"I think I'm about as okay as _you_ are." She was dressed in a baggy hoodie that Luke assumed was Evan's and sweats. He didn't think Carrie owned sweats, so those were probably Evan's, too. She wrapped her arms protectively around herself. He'd never seen her wear anything less revealing, and that worried him.

"I'm fine," he said bravely.

"Bullshit." She shook her head. "Come on in. I'll make coffee... Irish if you want."

"No... Regular coffee's fine."

Carrie nodded. She let him sit down, and a couple of minutes later, she returned with two cups of coffee. "Is _yours_ Irish?" Luke asked.

"No. Definitely not. If I never touch another alcoholic beverage again, it'll be too soon," Carrie said.

Luke knew how she felt. "So... Is Evan here?"

"No, he's out with Dad. I wanted some alone time."

"Sorry to interrupt that."

"Don't be. You're welcome here any time. You always have been, but now... Now, it's even more true."

She reached out tentatively toward his hand. When she touched him, he felt how much she was shaking. "Carrie... Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Do you?"

"No."

Carrie nodded. "Then we'll move on. The doctors say I should be physically good to wrestle sometime next week."

"That's pretty quick."

"I've been hurt worse."

"Are you sure you'll be ready?"

"No," she admitted, surprising him. "But I need _something_ , Luke... I need _one thing_ to be normal. This guy was sent to break me... But I'm Carrie Fucking Heyman. I don't just give up, and I'm not going to let that prick keep me from doing the one thing I love the most."

"Whatever you need, I'll help."

She smiled sadly. "I need a shrink... And I've got one. I start seeing her tomorrow... But I also need a friend..."

"You _have_ friends."

"I think most of you are still pissed at me... Understandably... But you're all putting that aside out of pity... I don't _want_ to be pitied. I want honesty."

"We don't pity you, Carrie. We love you. There's a difference."

"You shouldn't. I'm a horrible person."

"You make bad choices. That doesn't make you a bad person." He paused. "We're here, Carrie. None of us are going anywhere... Especially not me."

Carrie hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. Luke realized how fragile Carrie actually was. He also realized that she was the only one who fully understood what he'd done and why... And right now, he might need her just as badly as she needed him.

 _ **PHIL**_

Hole-in-the-wall indies might not pay well, but Phil couldn't afford to be picky. He'd pulled out of CZW, his best gig, so now he was stuck taking whatever he could get.

"I've never even heard of this place," Abby said as she helped Turner unload his trunk. Turner was booked on the card, too, but Phil wasn't entirely sure what Abby was doing there. He figured Turner must have invited her along for the ride. That, or she'd invited herself. That's what Briana had done.

"Black Skull Championship Pro," Briana said. "Any promotion with the initials BS is highly suspicious."

"They're not that bad," Turner said. "They've only run four shows, but they were decent for what they were. I've wrestled for worse promotors. Ziggy may pay us shit, but he buys pizza for everyone and he tries to make the wrestlers feel appreciated."

"I like pizza," Briana said.

"Talent only... Wanna be my manager?" Phil asked.

"I don't have my gear."

"I've got one of Leesh's old gimmicks in my trunk. The Mediocre Genie." He laughed.

"Did she really use that name?"

"It was a gag match. We were intentionally playing mock-ups of our parents. Leesh never wore it again, but Tabu and the Mediocre Genie was a running joke between us, and it made her laugh... So I keep it around for when she's sad."

"Phil... That's sort of sweet," Briana told him.

"It's loose-fitting and covers your face and comes with a blonde wig. No one will know it's you."

"Sure. Why not? I mean, anything for free pizza, right?"

That was how, an hour later, Briana was walking him out to the ring. She adapted to the gimmick well and was unrecognizable. Phil got a good laugh out of Briana, who excelled at basically everything, trying to act like a spastic mess in the ring.

To the joy of the fans, Abby came out as Turner's manager. In true Abby Styles fashion, she had a microphone in her hand so her over-the-top comments could be heard by all.

The match went by in a blur. It was a lot of fun, and Abby's random outbursts were hilarious, but the one thing Phil really noticed was how relaxed he felt. It had been too long since he'd just left everything in the ring like that, and in the end, he won. He hugged Briana, caught up in the moment, and they headed backstage.

After consuming three slices of pizza, Phil finally checked his phone. He saw an unexpected text from his mother. _Please call_ was all it read.

Phil walked to a more secluded area and called his mother's cell phone. When she didn't pick up, he called the house phone.

"Mom? It's me," he said.

"Philly... Oh, God, Philly... Please come home... I need you," she said in a whisper. Phil could hear the terror in her voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Please, Philly... I'm scared. Your father, he's... He's not himself."

"Mom, get out of the house, okay? I'm on my way. I'm about twenty or thirty minutes out. Just leave. Go somewhere safe. I'll come get you."

"I can't..."

"Mom, just hide then, okay? Just stay out of his way. I'll be right there. I'm calling the cops."

"No! No calling anyone. Promise me, Philly."

"Mom-"

"Promise!" She sounded desperate.

"Okay. Okay, I promise."

"You're such a good boy... I knew you'd understand... The police will make it worse... I love you, Philly," she whispered.

"Who the fuck are you talking to?" He heard his father demand. He could hear his mother crying as the phone slammed down in his ear.

Phil grabbed his gear and ran to the exit. Briana chased after him. "What's up?" She asked.

"I gotta go home," Phil said. "My mom's in trouble."

"I'm coming with you."

"Briana, not now-"

"You aren't going there alone. You're stuck with me."

"With _us,"_ Turner said. "We're coming, too."

There was no time to argue. Without even stopping to get paid, Phil sped off, hoping he'd get there in time.

 _ **VINNY**_

He'd been beyond stressed out since finding out what had happened to Carrie. When his doorbell rang, Vinny was ready to kill whoever was on the other side. He stopped himself when he saw it was Markie.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," Vinny replied.

"I come bearing distractions... Bad movies, soda, and comfort food."

"You're going to make me eat junk food, aren't you?"

"A lot of it. I will convert you to the dark side!" She grinned at him.

He shook his head. "Okay. Company might be nice."

Markie walked in and began unloading her bag. It contained several ridiculous movies, popcorn, chips, and entirely too much soda. Vinny didn't care. He was touched she'd come to check on him. As she put the first movie on, they snuggled on the couch together. He began to relax.

"Thanks," he said.

"You took care of me when I needed a friend. I'm returning the favor," Markie said.

He had to admit, he liked spending time with Markie. Her generally laid-back nature was refreshing, and she made him laugh. They hadn't hung out too often before, but he could get used to this.

 _ **CHRIS**_

He was just sitting on his bed when his father said, _Get in your car._

 _Dad, I'm staying in tonight,_ Chris objected.

 _She needs you, Buddy. Felicia's in for a rough night. Go to her._

 _Is she okay?_

 _Something happened, Buddy... I'm not sure how it's going to play out, but it's very bad. She needs you, Chris._

 _Dad... What happened?_

 _It's Terry, Buddy. Terry_ and _Melissa... Go to her, okay? That girl needs you tonight._

Chris didn't hesitate. He threw on his sneakers and got in his car. Whatever had happened, his father was very upset about it. Chris knew he needed to do what he said. He cared too much about Felicia to leave her alone when she might need him. He wasn't exactly sure what they were to each other now that they'd kissed, but he knew he loved her. That was enough of a reason to rush to her side without any real proof that something was wrong. His father was never wrong. Somehow, he doubted tonight would be the first time.

 _ **PHIL**_

When they arrived, the house was too quiet.

"Dad?" Phil called. He spotted him on the couch, a needle beside him. He checked for a pulse. It was barely there. He knew an overdose when he saw one. "Turner, go up to my room. I got Narcan in the table by my bed."

"I'm on it," Turner said, rushing upstairs. It wasn't the first time Phil's father had overdosed.

Abby pulled out her phone and Phil knew she was calling 911. Briana looked at his father. "He's not breathing," she said.

"Help him," Phil said. "Please." He saw Briana move his father to the floor and start CPR before he ran to find his mother. He found her in the kitchen, collapsed on the floor.

"Mom!" Phil cried out. He knelt beside her, staining his jeans with her blood. He felt for a pulse. It was weak but it was there, and she was breathing. "Mom, wake up," he said. "Come on... Please wake up!" She still didn't respond. "Mom!" He pulled her into his arms, rocking her, and cried out, " _Mommy_..." He was crying. He couldn't help it.

"Phil..." Briana said gently from the doorway.

"Wake up," Phil whispered. " _Please_ wake up..."

Briana knelt beside him, trying to help, but he barely registered that. He could only focus on his mother, beaten unconscious and lying in his arms.

He could hear sirens. "The ambulance is here," he told his mother. "You'll be okay now."

The paramedics came in. They immediately took her from him. He followed them into the living room. Turner looked at him sadly. "Phil... Brother, I'm sorry," Turner said. "I tried... I gave him the Narcan, but... It was too late, man. He's gone."

Phil couldn't process that. Instead, he looked at his mother as they loaded her into the ambulance. "You can follow behind us," one paramedic said gently.

A second set of paramedics arrived. As one covered his father with a sheet, Phil let out a sound he didn't even recognize as human. He sank to his knees as too many emotions threatened to consume him.

Briana wrapped her arms around him. Turner immediately did the same as Abby talked to the paramedics and the police who'd just arrived. The rest of the world vanished as Phil closed his eyes and tried to tell himself that none of this was real.

 _ **FELICIA**_

Something was wrong… She could feel it. She had tried to call Phil, but he hadn't picked up his phone. When Chris had shown up at Tommy's house, it was clear how worried he was. Within five minutes, Felicia found out why.

The house phone rang. Kim rushed to answer it, looking frantic. "It's Bri," she said before she even picked up. "Something's wrong." She answered with, "What happened?"

Felicia watched as Kim's face fell. Jack stood nearby looking very concerned. Finally, Kim put the phone down. She had tears in her eyes.

"Felicia... We need to go to Philly," Kim said.

"Kim, what's wrong?" Jack asked, which was good, because Felicia was too afraid to. She could feel it more now... Her brother wasn't okay. In fact, what she felt was absolutely terrifying.

"Your mom's in the hospital," Kim began gently. Raw terror threatened to consume Felicia then.

"What happened?" Chris asked.

"I... Jack, can you get my parents?" Kim asked.

Jack nodded. "Of course." He walked into the kitchen and came back with Tommy and Trisa.

"That was Bri," Kim told her parents. "Her, Phil, Abby, and Turner are on their way to the hospital."

"What happened? Are they alright?" Trisa asked.

"Melissa called Phil to come home... Bri says she seemed really scared, so Phil insisted on going... By the time they got there..." Kim paused. "Felicia, I'm sorry... Your dad... He's... He, um..."

"Damnit," Tommy cursed softly. "That stupid son of a bitch... Was it an overdose?" He sounded surprisingly upset given how much he'd clearly come to hate her father recently. Still, Felicia knew Tommy had seen too many ECW guys die over the years. It was never easy for him, no matter who it was.

"Yes... Leeshee, I'm so sorry..."

"You said my Mom's in the hospital," Felicia said numbly. "What happened to her?"

"Phil found her in the kitchen unconscious... It... It's bad, Felicia. She's alive, but she hasn't woken up."

Felicia shook her head. "I have to go," she said automatically. "She needs me there."

"I'll drive," Tommy said.

"We're coming with you," Kim said, motioning toward her mother, Chris, and herself.

"Okay," Tommy agreed.

"Jack, I-" Kim began.

"Don't you dare say you're sorry," Jack said quickly. "It's okay. Go take care of this." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Kim let a few tears fall before she let him go.

"Felicia... I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Trisa said gently. She pulled her into her arms, a strong maternal presence that was instantly comforting most of the time. Tonight, however, there was no comfort. Felicia was too numb from shock.

"I never should have agreed to leave," Felicia whispered to Chris as they climbed into the back of Trisa's car. Tommy had Kim in his.

"Felicia, it's not your fault," Chris replied softly.

"It's _completely_ my fault," Felicia replied.

Chris took her hand and squeezed it, apparently realizing there was no point in trying to convince her she was wrong.

 _ **PHIL**_

He was too numb to do much, but he tried his best to go through the motions. Phil filled out the paperwork he could, wishing his sister was there. She was the one who knew all this information. She also understood medical terms much better than he did.

"Mr. Brunk?" A doctor asked. She was young-looking, with blonde hair and a smile that seemed like it was meant to be reassuring, but it came across as fake.

"Yeah," Phil said.

"I'm Dr. Franklin. I'm the resident on your mother's case."

"Resident?"

"Right. I'm her doctor."

"Is she awake yet?"

"No, Mr. Brunk... I'm sorry, but our exam shows that your mother suffered severe trauma to her head. There was significant hemorrhaging in her brain."

"Hemorrhaging... She's bleeding."

"Yes, she was."

"Into her brain."

"Yes." Dr. Franklin hesitated. "We were able to stop the bleeding after a bit, but there's a lot of swelling, and too much damage..."

"Does she need more surgery? Give me the paperwork. I'll sign whatever I need to-"

"Mr. Brunk-"

"Stop wasting time and get me the forms!"

"There _are_ no forms... We aren't going to do any more surgery right now."

"But she's _sick_! She needs surgery-"

"Mr. Brunk, I'm sorry... The damage to your mother's brain is quite extensive. It's highly unlikely that she'll wake back up."

"You're wrong," he said.

"Phil-" Briana said gently.

"No! No, she's full of shit, Briana! And if she doesn't get me a _real_ fucking doctor right now, I'm going to go straight ECW on her ass!"

"I'll get the attending," Dr. Franklin said quickly before hurrying down the hall.

At that point, Phil saw Felicia arrive with Tommy, Trisa, Kim, and Chris. "Leesh..." Phil whispered. He pulled his twin into his arms, holding her tightly and refusing to let her go.

"How's Mom?" Felicia asked after a minute.

"She's fighting," Phil insisted. No one corrected him.

An older doctor approached them. "I'm Dr. Andler. I understand you have some questions about your mother's condition?" He asked.

"Yeah... Why the fuck is your lackey intern telling me lies?" Phil asked.

"I'm a _resident_ ," Dr. Franklin objected.

"A fucking shitty one!" Phil told her.

"Doc, tell us the facts please," Tommy said.

Dr. Andler nodded. He repeated the same thing Dr. Franklin had said, but with more authority. "Unlikely," Phil repeated. "Unlikely she'll wake up, but not impossible?"

"Nothing's impossible," the doctor said kindly, "but in your mother's case, the chances are extremely thin... And even if she woke up, she'd likely have severe cognitive deficiencies."

"Cogna... What does that mean?" Phil asked.

"Brain damage," Felicia said softly. He could hear the horror in her tone. "It means she'll have brain damage."

"There are machines breathing for her right now," Dr. Andler said. "Without them, it's unlikely she'll continue to survive."

"You're trying to convince me to unplug my mother!" Phil accused him.

"The choice is yours, but you need to understand-"

"What I _understand_ is that you're trying to _kill_ her! You're supposed to _save_ her!"

"Phil-" Felicia whispered.

"No, okay? No! She's staying on those machines until she wakes the fuck up, and that's it!"

Felicia nodded, pulling him into a hug to try to soothe him. He allowed it mostly to comfort her before he finally pulled away. "I need a cigarette," he mumbled.

"I got you," Turner said, pulling out a pack and a lighter.

"Those things will kill you," Abby informed Turner.

"So will _life_ ," Phil said harshly. He took a cigarette and the lighter and walked off.

When he got outside, he lit the cigarette, but instead of smoking it, he put it to his arm. "Phil!" Briana said in horror from behind him. She pulled it out of his hand.

"Goddamnit, Briana, can't I have a fucking _minute_?" He demanded.

"No. Not if _that's_ what you're gonna do with it."

Phil stared at the small burn on his arm. It was oddly satisfying. He didn't usually do things like that to himself, but he suddenly understood why other people did.

"Just leave me alone, Bri," he said.

"Not happening. Not right now," Briana told him.

"Damnit, Bri, you don't get it!" He slammed his fist against the hospital wall. "I did this! I left her there! I left her with _him!"_

"Phil… This isn't your fault."

"I _left_ her!" He screamed. He hit the wall again before letting out a desperate whisper of, "I fucking left her…"

"She made her choices, Phil. I know how much you love your mom, but-"

"She _needed_ me! And I fucking failed her, Bri! I wasn't there! I never should have left!"

"You _had_ to. Felicia wouldn't have left without you and if she'd stayed, she'd be dead… You might _all_ be dead."

"He's dead… He's actually fucking dead…" Phil shook his head. "And part of me thinks I should be thrilled, because look at what he's done… But part of me… Briana, he's my father. He'll _always_ be my father… And as much as I fucking hated him… I loved him."

"The dynamic in your household was complicated. I get it. I saw it."

"He was like Dr. Heckle and Mr. Hyde or some shit, you know?"

"Dr. _Jekyll,"_ Briana corrected him gently. "But yeah, I get the reference."

"One minute, he was great. He was my hero. I wanted to grow up to be half as cool as he was in the ring… And the next, he was high, and he was hitting my mom, or putting Leesh in the hospital, or… It doesn't matter."

"He hurt _you_ , too, didn't he?" Briana asked.

"None of that matters. It's in the past now, and he's dead… He's gone… But I know he was a bad guy a lot of the time, you know? The thing is, sometimes, on those rare good days, he was awesome. He was supportive. He taught me so much about this business… He taught me the meaning of ECW… That wrestlers were family… And he loved me, Briana. I _know_ he loved me."

"I'm sure he did, Phil."

"And Mom… Mom loves us. She may not have been able to protect us, but that's because she couldn't even protect herself. She loves us, Bri."

"Of _course_ she does. I never questioned that."

"And she needed me… And I didn't get there in time."

"You _tried_ , Phil."

"This was exactly what I was afraid of..." He hit the wall again. "Why did I leave? I shouldn't have-"

Phil stopped rambling as Briana grabbed him and kissed him. She pulled away after a minute and he stared at her. "What the fuck was that?" He asked.

"It stopped you from blaming yourself again," Briana replied. "I stand by my choice."

Phil suddenly felt the last of his rage fade away. He couldn't be angry anymore. He was too exhausted. "I can't pull the plug, Bri," he whispered. "I lost my dad today… And if I lose my mom, too, then Leesh is going to snap… She'll hurt herself. I know she will… I'll lose her, too… And then I'll be all alone." He was crying, but Briana didn't respond by mocking him. That surprised him. Instead, she looked deep into his eyes.

"You have _us_ , Phil," she said seriously. "You have ECW… You have _me."_

Phil pulled her closer to him. He couldn't fight anymore. He broke down worse than he ever had in his life. He wept like a fucking baby, but Briana never judged him. Instead, she held him and tried to comfort him even though that was impossible. She stayed by his side until he was slightly calmer.

Finally, Phil kissed her forehead. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Anytime," she promised. They didn't say anything else, but he followed her back inside. As they got upstairs, Phil realized a lot of their friends had shown up, and so had their parents.

"I told you," Briana whispered. "You're not alone." Phil was surprised to realize that she might actually be right.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

 _ **CRAIG**_

He'd been avoiding everyone. This included his father. It shouldn't have surprised Craig when his dad finally showed up on his doorstep.

"Craig, why haven't you been picking up your phone?" His father demanded.

"I've been busy," Craig said. He didn't add that he _had_ picked up his phone, at least a dozen times, wanting to call Markie. The one time he'd actually put the call through, she'd ignored it.

"Things are out of control, Son..." His father sighed. "For one, Carrie was attacked a few days ago."

Craig was instantly alert. "Attacked? Is she alright?" Craig asked.

"She's trying, but according to Tommy, it's pretty bad. And Luke narrowly avoided jail time. He killed her attacker... Most likely. Apparently, it could have been Abby."

"Wait, what?"

"It's a long story... But Craig, something else happened. Last night..." His father shook his head. "Have you been on twitter?"

"No..." Craig immediately pulled out his phone.

"It's Terry, Craig. Terry's dead. He overdosed. Mark called me right before it somehow ended up in the dirtsheets."

"It's already out there?"

"Too quickly. Within an hour of Tommy finding out, it leaked. Someone at the hospital must have-"

"Hospital? I thought you said he was dead?"

"He is... Melissa's not. Not yet, anyway."

"Oh, God... What happened?"

"If you ask the dirtsheets, Sabu's the new Benoit... But it wasn't suicide. He just overdosed. Terry wasn't the suicidal sort. And Melissa... I don't think he intended to kill her, but who knows anymore? All I know is he beat her severely... She bled into her brain... She's on life support. Phil found her unconscious-"

"Wait, Phil found them?" Craig was horrified. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Phil must be going through. Suddenly, his own problems seemed ridiculously petty.

"Yeah."

"We have to go to Philly, Dad. We need to be there for the Brunks."

"I agree... I'm glad you see how important that is."

"It doesn't matter how badly I screwed up... The Brunks are family, and they need us. Phil must be going out of his mind."

"Mark says both of the kids are pretty broken."

Craig pulled up a website on his phone. "I'm booking the first flight out."

"I'll handle that. Your phone's ringing," his father pointed out as it lit up.

Craig was surprised to see the name on the Caller ID. "Hey, Artie," he said.

"Craig... We need to talk," Artie said.

"If it's about Sabu... My dad just told me."

"Come home, Craig. Right now, all that matters is being here for Phil and Felicia."

"Dad's already booking a flight... Thanks for calling me. No one else did."

"I figured."

"How is everyone holding up?"

"Not well... Everyone's got mixed feelings about Terry, and then there's poor Melissa... It's beyond awful."

"Are you okay?" Craig knew Artie took stress badly sometimes.

"As okay as I can be. It's tough, you know? And my dad is severely broken up. He's known Terry for so long... Dad always freaks when an ECW guy passes away."

"They all do." Craig paused. "I heard about Carrie today... How is she?"

"She's Carrie. It's hard to tell... But I think she's pretty freaked. No one's seen her since she left the hospital."

"And... And Markie? Is she okay?"

"She's trying to be... She decided to give Carrie a break considering what happened... But she's still upset with you, Craig. Don't push her."

"I won't. Especially not now. This is about Phil and Felicia."

"Right. So, I'll see you soon, I guess?"

"Yeah. See you soon."

Craig hung up and began to pack, trying not to focus on anything but the task at hand.

 _ **FELICIA**_

It had been an exceptionally long night. Felicia hadn't been able to sleep. She'd spent the night filling out paperwork, leaning on Chris, and trying to keep Phil calm. When they'd finally been allowed to see her mom, Felicia had sat by her bed and cried. Phil had finally gotten her to go back outside.

Sellie had been called in to help them, or maybe she'd just shown up. Felicia wasn't even sure. Either way, she threatened to sue the pants off of the hospital if they didn't step up her mother's care. They'd written her off as a lost cause, but unless she died, they were required to do everything the could to treat her.

Phil had called in a specialist. Felicia had no idea how he knew her, but she'd agreed to work pro bono. This was good because her mother's insurance was awful. They couldn't afford a specialist, but Phil was desperately trying to find a way to save their mother in spite of this.

"Hey, sweetheart," a familiar voice said.

Felicia spun around. "Rob," she said. She hugged RVD, one of the few people her father had always been able to count on.

"I came as soon as I heard. How are you holding up?"

"It hasn't fully hit me," Felicia admitted.

"I'm paying for the funeral."

"Rob, no-"

"You and your brother have enough to worry about. Let me do this much, okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you."

She hadn't even thought about the funeral. Would anyone want to go? News of her father's dark side had gotten out after Tommy took her and Phil in. She wasn't sure if anyone cared that her dad was dead... But as she looked at everyone who showed up to the hospital, she knew that they must.

 _ **TURNER**_

He had no idea what he should be feeling. Recently, he'd realized what a creep Sabu actually was, but prior to that, he'd liked the guy. He was about as hardcore as they came, and he was fun to watch. Sure, he had his demons, but so did Turner. He'd done his fair share of hard drugs over the years, although now he mostly stuck to pot. There were days when he, Phil, and Sabu had gotten wasted together. In hindsight, that wasn't a good thing, but at the time, it had seemed pretty awesome. No matter what, he was his friend's dad, and a legend, and now he was dead.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Thinking too much," he admitted.

"Same here... Want a distraction?"

"Definitely."

Abby smiled. She took his hand and led him down the hall. When they were away from all of the patients' rooms, Abby pushed Turner toward the wall and kissed him.

Turner was stunned, but in a good way. He immediately kissed her back, loving the way she worked her mouth against his. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and he felt a shock shoot through his entire body. He was definitely enjoying himself.

When Abby pulled away, Turner was left breathless. "Jesus," he mumbled.

"It's been a shitty week," she said. "I think we both needed something good to come out of it."

"Definitely."

"Quit smoking and this might actually go somewhere." She smirked at him. "Cancer sticks are a deal breaker."

He didn't even hesitate before pulling out the pack from his pocket and throwing it in the trash. Abby grinned. "Okay. _That_ was sexy," she informed him. She kissed him again.

Turner held her closer to his body, taking control. He liked kissing Abby. A lot. He wanted to see where this was going.

When they parted to breathe, Abby asked, "So, are we a thing now?"

"Sure," Turner said. "We're a thing." He wasn't usually the dating sort, but he didn't see himself getting bored with Abby any time soon. There was never a dull moment with her, and she kissed like she might never get the chance to kiss again. He liked that intensity.

 _ **LUKE**_

He was still hiding out with Carrie. Although she'd been avoiding social media, she was looking at Twitter now, and she suddenly let out a horrified cry of, "Oh my God!"

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"It's Sabu..." Carrie looked like she might cry. The shock on her face was clear, and it took a lot to shock Carrie Heyman. "Luke... Sabu's dead... And according to this... Oh, shit." Carrie pulled up her contacts and dialed a number.

"Ev... Is it true?" She asked. As she waited for an answer, Luke watched her anxiously. "Oh, God... Holy shit... And Melissa? Is she really dead?"

Luke stared at her. He couldn't have heard that right. "The rags said she was... They're calling him the next Benoit," Carrie said. "Will she wake up?" She heard a response and put a hand to her mouth in horror as she started to cry.

His chest hurt. He was starting to have trouble breathing. It was another stupid panic attack. Luke was getting really pissed off that his body had decided this was how it wanted to spend its time now.

"How are the twins?" Carrie asked. She nodded. "Tell them... Shit, I don't even know what to have you tell them. Maybe I should come... Which hospital?" She paled. "I... I'll call them later... And when they leave, I'll go see them..." She sighed. "Take care of them. I'm okay. Luke's here. I love you, Ev." She hung up.

"Don't say it," Luke said. "Please... Unless you're going to tell me it's a mistake."

"Luke..." Carrie sighed and shook her head. She surprised Luke by coming closer. Nervously, she hugged him. She was shaking, and she started crying harder.

"Shit..." Luke whispered. "Damnit, Terry... _Damnit."_ He clung to Carrie, trying to comfort her as he tried to calm himself down.

"Was it... Was it an accident?" He asked hopefully.

"Terry overdosed," Carrie said. She took a deep breath and stopped crying. "After he beat the hell out of Melissa..."

"Is she...?"

"She's in the hospital... It's bad, Luke," Carrie said gently.

"How bad?"

"They don't think she's ever going to wake up. They're trying to convince the twins to take her off of life support, but Phil refused."

Luke closed his eyes, trying to process this. Terry was dead. Melissa was as good as dead. Everything had gone to hell. He stood. "I need the bathroom," he said lamely before running off. He closed the door and collapsed against it, sinking to the ground. He pulled his knees to his chest, struggling to breathe.

It took him forever to calm down enough to reach for his phone. He dialed a number. "Hey, Kiddo!" His father greeted him too cheerfully. He slurred the words.

"Dad... I just heard," Luke said.

"Yeah. Yeah, it sucks..." He could hear the familiar sound of a beer being opened on his father's end of the line.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, you know me. I'll be fine, Kiddo. I'm hanging out by the hospital. Everyone's been showing up, and you know it ain't a party without the Sandman!"

"Is Tommy there?"

"Who do you think called the rest of us? Tommy and Bubba have been making calls for hours."

"Dad... Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Kiddo. You should come by later. It's turning into a hell of a party."

Luke almost pointed out that this was supposed to be a somber occasion, but he could tell how plastered his father was. He understood. Terry had been one of his father's best friends. The Brunks were family. And his father didn't always deal well with overwhelming grief, which is what Luke knew he was really feeling.

"I'm at Carrie and Evan's place. Do you need me to come?" Luke asked.

"Nah... Stay with that girl. She needs you, and she shouldn't be here... She only got released from here a couple of days ago," his father said. He slurred the words, but Luke was impressed his dad even remembered that Carrie had been attacked in that moment.

"Okay, Dad... Don't drive anywhere, alright?"

" _I'm_ the one who's supposed to tell _you_ stuff like that," his father said with a laugh.

"Humor me."

"I'm not going anywhere. Dreamer stole my keys about an hour ago."

Luke let out a relieved sigh. _Thank God for Tommy,_ he thought. "Okay. I'm sorry... About Terry."

"Yeah. Me, too." Another beer was opened. "Love you, Luke. See you later." His father hung up.

Luke took a deep breath. He splashed some cold water on his face before heading back outside. "Are you okay?" Carrie asked.

"Yeah," Luke lied. She raised an eyebrow skeptically but didn't call him on it. "Dad's drinking Philly dry right now, though."

"If you need to go to him-"

"No, he told me to stay here. Besides, he said guys keep showing up... He's with everyone else. He'll be fine. And Tommy jacked his keys."

"Good man," Carrie said. She paused. "Evan said Phil found them... His jeans are covered in his mom's blood."

"Is he sober?"

"Ev's pretty sure he hasn't gotten high yet. Briana's been stalking Phil, so he hasn't really had a chance to fuck up."

"Good. That's the last thing he needs to do."

"Luke... I want to do something... The twins shouldn't have to go back to a house covered in their mother's blood."

"You wanna hire a cleaning service?"

"No... There shouldn't be strangers involved in this. I want to clean it up myself."

Luke was impressed. "I didn't think you cleaned."

"I don't... But this is something I can do for them."

He nodded. "I want to help."

"Okay. I'd appreciate that."

"Carrie... That's really nice of you."

"Shhh. You'll ruin my rep." She gave him a sad smile. Somehow, even a sad smile looked incredibly beautiful on her. Luke offered her his own sad smile and tried not to worry too much about his father.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She was trying very hard to be there for the Brunk twins. Markie knew Felicia pretty well from WSU, and she knew Phil well enough. Her heart broke for them because she understood entirely too well what it was like to be told your mom was going to die and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

"Brother..." She heard her father say. She looked up and saw Devon giving her father a hug.

"Devon!" Markie cried out. She hugged him. "I was worried you wouldn't come... Dad needs you."

"Blow my cool, uncaring asshole cover, why don't you, Kid?" Her dad asked.

"This is about family," Devon said. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay... I feel awful for Phil and Felicia," Markie said.

"Where's the kid?" Her father asked.

"Outside... Things got a little out of hand. I left Craig with Aiden to try and calm it down... There are entirely too many drunk, grieving wrestlers outside of this hospital, and they're getting louder... And rough-housing."

"Sandman?"

"And Raven, and Stevie, and Meanie, and pretty much everyone else who's staying out there instead of in here."

"Fuck. Idiots..."

"Those two can't handle that alone," Markie said. She took a deep breath and started walking toward the exit. Her father and Devon followed her.

Outside, Aiden was trying to calm everyone down. "Guys, chill!" He said. "This isn't the place-"

"Come on, Raven, let go of Meanie," Craig added. Raven had Blue Meanie in a headlock that Meanie seemed too drunk to escape from.

Markie ignored Craig. This wasn't about him... Or the pain she felt in her heart as she saw him.

"Yo! Idiots!" Markie shouted loudly. Everyone actually stopped and looked at her. "This is a hospital. Your friend's wife is upstairs on life support. Either show some fucking respect or take the circus act elsewhere! Are we clear?"

Several of the men actually looked ashamed of themselves. Sandman smiled at her. "Hey, Markie!" He said cheerfully. "Beer?"

"No thanks," Markie said. She couldn't bring herself to snap at him. She knew how much pain he was in. Besides, it was hard to be mad at the Sandman. The others remained quieter.

"Nice, Kiddo," her father said with a nod of approval.

She had avoided making eye contact with Craig. He caught her eye now. "Markie..." He said softly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Markie said coldly. She saw that he still had a black eye. It both satisfied and bothered her.

"Can we...? I mean...?" He paused. "I'm just _sorry_ , okay?"

"No. _Not_ okay. And we're not doing this. _Especially_ not here. Sabu's dead, his wife's dying, and everyone we love is hurting, so no. We're not talking about that, or about anything else." Markie looked at her father. "Excuse me," she said. She walked away. She was mildly surprised when Craig didn't follow her. Maybe he was learning something after all.

 _ **PHIL**_

He was exhausted, but he wasn't willing to sleep. He sat down in the waiting room of the maternity ward because the last fucking place anybody would look for him was a place filled with crazy, hormonal pregnant chicks and a bunch of screaming demons they'd spawned. Phil actually kind of liked kids, but babies were terrifying to him. They came out small and wrinkled and grumpy and they were incredibly fragile. He wasn't good with fragile things. He tended to break them.

As he watched mothers walk up and down the hall, smiling in anticipation of their demons arriving or holding the ones who'd already been born, he felt something he couldn't identify. The mothers were so happy... The fathers were, too. They laughed and fussed over their new additions and every last one of them looked like they'd do everything in their power to keep the little demons safe. Had his parents ever looked like that? Had his mom ever been that happy and safe and loved by his father? Had his dad ever acted like his children meant more to him than anything else in the world? More than money? More than drugs? More than just a way to get what he needed from the world?

His chest hurt. He started to shake. Even though the worst of his physical withdrawal was over, Phil still seemed to shake when he was stressed. He wanted to get high. He wanted to forget... But he couldn't.

"Fuck..." He mumbled. It was probably not appropriate to use that kind of language in a maternity ward, but he didn't care. He needed a fix. He couldn't keep doing this... Every day was a fight. He was so tired... So sick of fighting...

He pulled out his phone and sent a text message. He didn't even realize who he was texting until he was ready to hit send.

 _In preggo ward 2B alone. Prolly shouldn't B. Come?_

Four minutes later, he watched Briana step off the elevator. "Maternity?" She asked. "Interesting choice. Are you okay?"

"No," Phil said.

"How can I help?"

" _Briana_ me."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "What does _that_ mean?"

"I don't know... Just do whatever it is you do. It helps. I'm jonesing, I'm losing my shit, and I'm not okay, so fix me. You said you wanna help. Did you mean it?"

"Yes," she said without hesitating. She took his hand in hers. It was a small gesture, but it soothed something in him.

He stared at a father who was hugging his wife and their little demon as they got discharged. Something in him broke. "Bri..." He said, his voice cracking on the word. He couldn't breathe. He felt tears fighting their way out of his eyes.

"Oh, Phil..." Briana said, the alarm clear in her own voice. She shook her head and pulled him into her arms, apparently realizing words wouldn't cut it.

He was trembling in her arms. Briana didn't judge him for it. Instead, she kept clinging to him, and to Phil, she felt like a lifeline. He dug his fingers into her shoulder as he held her tighter. Briana didn't seem to object, but after a minute, he realized he might be hurting her and he loosened his grip.

He stared into her eyes, trying to find any kind of answers in them that would make the world make sense again. After a moment, he kissed her. He knew it was crazy, but he needed to feel her. He needed to connect to someone. It surprised him that she kissed him back. This time, it didn't seem to be to shut him up. It was gentler and much more comforting. When he pulled away, he looked at her again.

Neither of them spoke of it. Instead, Phil said, "I need to get out of here... I should check on Leesh."

"She's okay. Chris hasn't left her side," Briana said. "But you're right. Let's go." She took his hand and stood. Phil took a deep breath and stood up, too. He could do this. Felicia needed him. He held Briana's hand as they got on the elevator and headed back to the one place he wanted to be the least.

 _ **ONE DAY LATER...**_

 _ **CARRIE**_

With the house being cleared of police activity, Carrie and Luke had gone there to check out the damage. Carrie was dressed in more of Evan's clothes including a ridiculously big pair of overalls. She would have stuck to sweats, but she didn't want to clean up a house in such warm clothing.

It was terrifying to be out of her house, but she had to do it. She'd left to meet her new therapist. That had been weird but not completely awful. Walking into that house, however, was almost impossible.

"There's a lot of blood," Carrie noticed aloud. "I should call Evan in. We could use more hands."

Luke was staring at a wall that had a bunch of holes in it. "Terry and Phil," he said. "They both punched these walls a lot."

"Maybe we should paint them... And I'm replacing this carpet. It's a mess."

"It smelks like pot and cigarettes," Luke said.

"And death... That just clings to this place... We need to fix that."

"I can sand these walls and patch up the holes, and then we can paint."

"You know how to do that?"

"Dad does construction. I've been helping him for years."

Carrie was impressed. "Okay. I'll pay for whatever you need... We'll get this place looking a lot less depressing."

"Carrie... It's going to take a _lot_ __of money to fix all of this... Just looking at it, there's probably structural damage, and there's definitely cosmetic issues."

"I don't care about the money. Phil and Felicia should _not_ have to come home to this. Whatever you need, just let me know." Carrie knelt beside a horrifying blood stain in the kitchen. "Soap and water only does so much... Any idea what else I can use?"

"Yeah, I know some stuff."

"Go get it. Here's my credit card." She handed it to him. "I'm going to call Evan, and then I'll start with some of the simpler stains."

Luke left shortly after with Carrie's precious plastic. She filled a bucket with soap and water and knelt by a wall in the living room. Some lighter blood stains had splashed across the wall. Carrie began scrubbing the lighter spots. She'd never gotten on her hands and knees to scrub anything before, but this felt right. She had to do this for her friends. For once in her life, Carrie was going to stop being selfish and think about someone else.

 _ **FELICIA**_

She was completely overwhelmed. She'd hidden in the bathroom and made several cuts on her arm to try to calm herself down, but it didn't help much. She took care of them discretely before rolling her sleeves back down. At least she could fake it now.

Phil grabbed her before she could go back to Chris. "You okay, Leesh?" He asked knowingly.

"Yes. I'm fine," Felicia said automatically.

"My doctor friend says we got a lawsuit if we want one... Says the hospital fucked up and didn't do enough for Mom... That they saw a battered woman in real bad shape with crappy insurance and decided not to do more than stop the bleeding in her brain."

"I know. Sellie keeps threatening to sue, too… But we can't afford a lawsuit, Phil."

"Sellie's on board if we want her... _For Bono_ or whatever. Do we want that?" He pronounced it like Bono the musician.

" _Pro bono_ ," Felicia corrected him automatically. "And... I suppose we should consider it... But I don't want their money."

"Fuck the money. I want our mom back." Phil shook his head. "But Doc and Sellie think it's important... I'm just... I'm so sick of fighting, Leesh."

She knew what he meant. "So am I." She hugged him.

"Rob got everything together... The funeral's tomorrow."

"I know."

" _Tomorrow_ , Leesh... I mean... _Fuck_."

"I _know_ , Phil." She hugged him tighter. "We'll be okay. We have each other."

"That's all we need. You and me against the world, like when we were thirteen."

Felicia tried not to shudder at that memory. "It's always going to be you and me, Phil. Since the womb, until forever."

He nodded. She knew her words comforted him. They could get through this... Somehow. She just needed to take it one day at a time... And if she had to make a few more cuts to release everything inside of her head so she could function, then so be it.

Tomorrow was going to be impossible. When Phil walked away and she found Chris, she agreed to try to sleep. Chris curled up beside her, holding her like a reverse teddy bear. It helped to know Chris was with her. Right now, he was the one bright spot in a world that had been shattered by darkness years ago. Felicia hoped it had not been shattered for good this time.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

 _ **PHIL**_

He was ready to scream. If one more person showed up at the funeral home and said how sorry they were when he knew damn well they hated his father, he was going to kill them all. Most of them had come out of the woodworks for one of two reasons... Either they wanted to see the freak show because his father was the new Chris Benoit, or they didn't want to miss the social event of the year. Sandman had already invited everyone back to his place after the funeral. It was going to be a hell of a party.

He felt someone come up behind him. He was about to attack when he spun around and realized who it was. "Carrie..." He said, his anger fading away. "I didn't think you'd be up to coming out."

"This is about family," Carrie told him. She wore a black sweater and black dress pants. Phil had never seen her in pants at a formal event. Carrie lived in dresses and skirts, the more revealing the better. She moved closer to him, but she hesitated before hugging him.

He'd never seen her so scared before, but he understood. "You don't have to," Phil said gently. "It's okay if you don't wanna be touched, Carrie. You're entitled."

Carrie looked stunned. She hugged him anyway. "Thank you... But you need hugs from the people who love you right now. There are so many vultures here."

"I noticed that..."

After a minute, Carrie walked away to find Felicia. Phil watched as more people showed up. ECW guys, indy guys, and everyone in-between had come out. The Hardys were there and Phil knew it was against WWE's orders. The Pageant Boy had already made it clear no one from the company was to so much as mention his father. He didn't want to be associated with the man who'd beaten his wife into possible brain death and proceeded to overdose on heroin. His only public statement had been something along the lines of how the WWE's thoughts and prayers were with his mother and her children during this "difficult time." Phil didn't _want_ that hypocritical bastard's thoughts _or_ prayers.

As Phil watched an army of indy guys he recognized arrive, his anger grew. "Get them out of here!" He said to a man who knew them all well. He didn't want Eric Pleska of PWS there either, but he was the only one who might be able to get them to go away. He may have taken his father back after that prick Pat Buck had left the company to form WrestlePro, but he hadn't even _tried_ to defend him when Pat had initially put it out there on social media that indy promotions needed to avoid booking Sabu, the hopeless drug addict who trashed hotel rooms on his promotor's dime and showed up to matches high as fuck and unable to deliver a decent match. He'd warned of drug usage in the locker room, and a hotel room trashed with needles, blood, and dog shit. His father's career had never fully recovered, and he'd taken his rage out on his family.

 _Pat wasn't lying, though. And he almost never puts people on blast. Dad cost him a lot of money and risked bringing drugs into his no-drugs-allowed locker room,_ Phil reminded himself. Pat Buck could be a dick at times, but he hadn't said anything that didn't need to be said. He was trying to protect other promotors. Hell, when Phil and Felicia had started wrestling, Pat had actually reached out and told Phil if he wanted to work for WrestlePro, he'd be willing to give him a shot. Phil had cursed him out and started working PWS shows with his dad in response, but it had still been a kind gesture on Pat's part. The problem was, because of what Pat had put out there, no one would book his father and by extension, they wouldn't take the risk on Phil or Felicia either.

Pat hadn't shown up. He had more tact than that. His head trainer, Kevin Matthews of Impact Wrestling semi-fame, however, did not. He'd come out with a crew of WrestlePro idiots to see the show. They were dressed in proper funeral attire and were being respectful enough, but Phil didn't want them anywhere near this.

"Sure, Phil. I've got you," Eric replied. He looked sympathetic. Eric Pleska was a scumbag, but Phil had worked for him often enough that Eric respected him. "Kevin, what the _fuck_ are you guys doing here?" Eric asked.

"Paying our respects," Kevin said.

"You, especially, had a very public online rivalry with Sabu. Everyone knows you're happy he's dead."

Kevin looked offended at that. "I _never_ said I wanted him to die, Eric," he said coldly. "I just said it was inevitable that it would end up this way... With Sabu dead from an overdose and the Genie beaten to death."

"She's not _dead_ , you fucking asshole!" Phil yelled. He slammed Kevin against a wall of the funeral home. Eric let out an amused laugh that made Phil want to attack him, too.

Everyone turned to stare at them. Phil had a deathgrip on Kevin's throat. To his credit, Kevin didn't attack him or even try to fight back, but he was clearly shocked.

"Dude! Let him go! He's an idiot who forgets to think before he talks, but he didn't mean to upset you!" Kevin's lackey tag partner and best friend Craven Varro said. "Phil! Come on, man. I know he's an ass, but you don't want today getting any uglier."

Phil knew Craven. The guy was hardcore as all hell. He actually liked him, and in spite of being Pat Buck's bitch, Craven had never treated Phil like he was a worthless loser. He'd even helped Felicia when some guys had been hassling her after a show. Craven was a good guy.

"Get the fuck out of here," Phil said harshly, letting Kevin go.

"I'm sorry," Kevin croaked out as he rubbed his throat. "Your mom deserved better... And I shouldn't have come."

"Which I fucking _told_ you," Craven mumbled. "Pat's gonna kill you if he hears you pulled this, Kev." He looked at Phil. "I'm sorry, Phil. Genuinely. How's your sister?"

"Not good," Phil said. "Craven can stay. The rest of you, get the fuck out before I kill you all." He walked away. Suddenly, all Phil wanted was to get high. He walked over to Raven and discretely said, "I gotta take the edge off, man..."

Raven nodded. "I get it," he said. He passed him a needle. Phil had known Raven wouldn't show up empty-handed today.

"Thanks." He took it and walked back outside. He went to his car and sat inside, ready to forget. He set himself up and put the needle to his arm.

"You're just like him..." He told himself. Then he picked up his phone, not letting go of the needle. He sent a text in desperation.

 _In car. Need u. Hurry._

Briana came running a minute later. "Are you okay?" She asked. Her eyes went wide as she saw the needle he held to his arm. She climbed into the passenger seat.

"I _need_ it, Bri..." Phil whispered.

"No you don't. You're _clean_ , Phil. It's not too late-"

"It _is_ too late, Briana! My father's _dead_! My mom's _dying_! It is _way_ too fucking late!" He was trembling violently.

"Phil, don't do this. You can stop."

"I _can't_ , Bri..."

"Give me the needle."

"I texted you to come take it from me."

"I'm not going to do that. You're going to give it to me."

"What difference does it make? Just _take_ it."

"Phil... You need to give it to me. You have to _choose_ this."

"I _can't,_ Briana!"

"Yes you _can_. I believe in you, Phil. You're so much stronger than you realize."

"I'm not _strong_. I'm _weak_. I'm _nothing_."

"You're a good guy, Phil. You're _not_ weak _or_ worthless."

"No, I'm not a good fucking guy! I'm just like _him!_ "

"You're _nothing_ like him!" She paused. "You have a choice, Phil."

He stared at her. For his entire life, he'd been told he was just like his father. In fact, he had been taught to work at being exactly like him. That was his destiny, his purpose in this world. Briana's words stunned him.

"Bri..." He sighed. "I… have… a choice..." Shaking, he handed her the needle.

She hugged him. "See?" She whispered. "You _are_ strong."

He leaned over and kissed her. He didn't know why he kept kissing Briana, but it always seemed to help. Also, she was pretty good at it.

"Thank you," Phil whispered against her ear. Briana shuddered, and he wondered if that was good or bad. When she leaned against him, he decided it was a good shudder.

"Anytime," Briana replied. "Are you okay to go back?"

"Not yet." He kissed her again. He felt calmer. Briana went along with it, apparently not minding that they kept doing this. Again, neither of them mentioned it as he pulled away. "Okay... Let's go." He got out of the car. He wasn't shaking so much anymore.

 _ **AIDEN**_

He stood in the back of the room staring anywhere but at the casket. He'd been to funerals before, but the last time it had been an overdose, it had been his best friend. He still remembered seeing him lying there and knowing he hadn't been able to save him.

On top of that, the Brunks were family. Aiden had grown up in that house. He'd played hopscotch with Felicia when she was still in braided pigtails. He'd imitated moves they saw on TV when he "wrestled" Phil at seven years old. He'd had animated, funny conversations with Melissa while she made him sandwiches. And he'd turned to Terry for comfort when he fell out of a tree and cracked his head open. Terry had declared him hardcore because he didn't cry, and then he'd patched him up himself before calling his dad. He may not have been perfect... At times, he was even a monster. Aiden had heard Melissa sobbing as he screamed at her and slapped her around... But when he wasn't evil, Terry was like another father to him. He couldn't bring himself to get near this casket.

"You okay, Aiden?" Rob Feinstein asked.

"I'm... As okay as I can be," Aiden replied honestly.

"Yeah... It's a rough blow. I know you're close to them. Do you need anything?"

"To not be here. It's... It's a _lot,_ Rob."

"So leave. You paid your respects. No one said you had to stay."

"I can't. I need to be here... For the twins... For my dad."

"Fair enough... But try not to stress, okay? Stress is not your thing."

"You're right. It's not." Aiden sighed. "I'm supposed to go up there. Everyone else is."

"Why haven't you?"

"My best friend overdosed when I was a kid. It's stirring that back up... And Terry's _family_ , Rob. I can't handle seeing him like that."

"There's no rule that you have to go look at him. You're here. That's the most important thing."

Aiden nodded. "Thanks, Rob."

"Take care of yourself, Kid." Rob headed off to talk to someone else. He knew Rob wasn't very good at sitting still, so Aiden wasn't offended.

Phil and Briana were suddenly beside him. "Hi Bri... And hey, Brother," Aiden said. "How are you holding up?"

"I almost shot up," Phil said bluntly.

Aident didn't even blink at that. "Almost is good."

"Bri convinced me I didn't have to."

"I just showed you the truth," Briana insisted.

Phil wove his fingers through hers and didn't seem to realize he was doing it. Aiden wondered what that was about. Briana didn't react much, but she did let her fingers adjust to Phil's. _Hmmm... Another day, I'll need to ask them about this,_ Aiden thought. He knew this wasn't the time.

"Thanks for coming, Aiden," Phil said. "You're one of the only people who I know gets this... On every level. It's complicated and fucked-up."

"It is. But of course I'm here," Aiden said. "We're family."

"We are." Phil gave Aiden a hug. It surprised him because Phil wasn't a huggy guy. He'd hug women and girls and occasionally very young male fans, but never other men. Aiden wasn't quite sure why that was. Phil had just always shied away from showing any sort of affection to men. Aiden figured his dad had drilled it into him that it wasn't okay or something.

As RVD stood at the podium, everyone quieted down. "Are you gonna say anything?" Aiden asked Phil softly.

"Nah," Phil said. "That's one promo I can't cut... It's too hard... And I don't know that I won't start cursing my dad out right now... It's better I don't get up there."

RVD gave an absolutely beautiful eulogy. Aiden could see how much Phil appreciated that. It was followed by Raven. His eulogy included a lot more cursing, but it was pretty beautiful, too, and totally appropriate given this was an ECW funeral. When Tommy got up, everyone seemed eager to hear what he might say. Aiden certainly was.

 _ **KIM**_

She stayed close to the front of the crowd in case anyone needed her. As her father began to speak, Kim paid close attention.

"You guys know me," he said. "I'm not about the BS and politics. I also don't mince my words. Terry turned into a real son of a bitch... But he was family. He did a lot of stupid shit, and I'll never try to paint him as a saint, but a lot of that had to do with his demons. Sabu was a homicidal, genocidal maniac, but Terry was just one of the guys. He partied. He made us laugh. And he loved our business more than anything. Was he an asshole in the end? Absolutely... But he needed help. Those chemicals he was so fond of turned him into another person, and that's the monster being blown up in the dirtsheets. That's the guy WWE has decided to erase... But beyond that, there was a _man_... A _friend_... A _father_... And even if he did some horrible things, I'm going to miss that crazy bastard..." Her father choked up. Kim could tell how hard this was hitting him. She rushed to his side and took his hand.

He squeezed her hand, finding strength. He continued speaking, saying, "We're here for our family... We are here for the kids... Phil, Felicia... No matter what your father did over the years, he was still your father, and I am unbelievably sorry for your loss."

Phil nodded from the back of the room. Kim noticed he was holding Briana's hand. That would require a conversation with her twin later on.

Felicia sat up front with Chris beside her. She looked at Kim and her father with tears in her eyes. Kim let go of her father and sat beside Felicia, squeezing the hand Chris wasn't already holding.

Sandman took the podium. "Terry... Terry, you stupid, crazy son of a bitch..." He mumbled. He shook his head. "See you in the big ring in the sky. I'll bring the beer." He shook his head again and looked at everyone. "Remember, the after party's at my house. Be there." He walked away. Luke chased after him as he exited the funeral home.

"Do you think Sandman's okay?" Chris asked.

"No," Kim replied. "I don't think any of the old generation members are okay... But he will be. They'll all get there. They always do."

"No Jack today?" Felicia asked. "You could have brought him."

"Jack's my boyfriend, but he doesn't belong here. Not yet," Kim said. "God, I haven't even called him since we came out to Philly..."

"You should. He's probably worried."

" _Let_ him worry," Chris said. Felicia and Kim both stared at him. "I'm sorry, Kim... I just don't like that guy. There's something off about him."

"Chris, he's a nice guy," Kim said, but now she wondered... Chris never spoke up like that. What had Jack done to piss him off? She was left wondering this as they began gathering their things to leave and head to Sandman's.

 _ **LUKE**_

His father sure knew how to throw a party. Luke had driven him home because he was already way over the limit. Now they stood surrounded by ECW guys and other family members. The Hardys had come, which was sort of cool. Luke hadn't seen them much since he was little and they were all over the indies.

"This one's for you, Brother!" His dad declared as he toasted his latest beer.

"Brothers!" A bunch of the guys shouted back, downing their own drinks.

"Have one, Kiddo," his dad told him. "For Terry."

Luke nervously took the beer. One drink probably wouldn't lead to him killing anyone. He downed it and his dad cheered. Luke suddenly felt his chest tighten. He ran upstairs to his room.

There was a tentative knock on his door. He was starting to hyperventilate. He stared at his reflection, trying to ground himself.

"Luke?" Kim called through the door. "Are you okay?"

Unable to keep it in any longer, Luke opened the door and pulled Kim inside before closing it again. He sat her down on his bed before crawling into it beside her. Resting his head in her lap, he began to cry so violently that his entire body shook.

"Oh, Luke... Lukey, _sweetie_..." Kim said sympathetically. She began stroking his hair and trying to soothe him like she'd done for him when he was much smaller. Luke didn't get upset often, but he'd cried like this when his mother left his father. He'd been seven and Kim and Briana had been about twelve. The twins had taken turns comforting him as he mother kept threatening to take him away from his father. Ultimately, with Tommy's help, his dad had actually been awarded full custody, which the adults had declared a miracle given his father's history of legal troubles. His dad had actually stopped drinking for the duration of the custody battle just to make sure he didn't lose Luke. He loved him _that_ much... Luke still had to see his mom after that, but not often enough for it to bother him.

"I know how much you loved Terry," Kim said gently.

"I did..." Luke agreed. Part of him wanted to tell her it was more than that. He was scared for his father... Terrified he might do something crazy like drive drunk again or do who knew what else. He was also trying to cope with the unthinkable fact that he'd probably killed a man. It was too much, and suddenly, all Luke wanted to do was hide under his bed and scream.

"Kim... I'm..." He almost said he wasn't okay, but he stopped himself. He needed to get by this. He'd fake it until he did. "I'm okay now. Thanks." He sat up.

"Are you sure?" Kim asked.

"I am. We should get back downstairs. It's a real party. We shouldn't miss it."

Kim still looked worried, but she let it go. Luke forced himself to smile as they headed back downstairs.

 _ **FELICIA**_

She'd gotten through the funeral on autopilot. She responded to every "I'm sorry for your loss" with a polite thank you, not even registering who half of the people offering their condolences were. If asked how she was doing, she quietly replied in a respectful tone that she was doing as well as could be expected. For the most part, she hid in plain sight, sitting in the front row and letting Chris hold her hand.

It was comforting to know he was beside her. The fact that they'd kissed still confused her, but she had decided she was okay with kissing Chris. For some reason, he didn't scare her like other guys did. Chris was sweet and non-threatening, and she was completely positive he didn't have it in him to hurt anyone, especially not her. She hadn't known him overly well before, but now, she couldn't imagine even trying to function without him.

The "after party" was another story. Having Chris beside her wasn't enough. This crowd was loud and rowdy and getting very drunk. Some of them were more than likely high. She walked away, excusing herself to go to the bathroom. Once there, she did the only thing she could and made a single cut on her arm. It centered her. She took several deep breaths. She just had to get through one more night, and then most of these people would go away and she could grieve and process in peace.

She cleaned the wound and walked back outside. She walked straight into New Jack. "Oh! Jerome," she said. "You scared me."

"Alicia! Is that you?" Jerome asked.

"It's _Fe_ licia, actually," she corrected him politely.

"Beautiful name… Look at you! All grown up and beautiful…" He smiled at her. Felicia shuddered. He was clearly very drunk.

"Thank you," she said nervously. "I should get back-"

"Relax, sweetheart. Let's catch up. I haven't seen you since you were a little thing." He studied her too intimately. Felicia wanted to run. "You know what helps with grief, baby? _Connecting_ … Distracting yourself with _pleasure_ to forget the pain."

"I'm fine. Thank you." She started to walk away. Jerome touched her arm. She panicked, then remembered there was an army full of wrestlers downstairs and at least some of them would protect her… If she screamed, would they hear her over the music?

"I just want to help, honey."

"I'm not interested."

"Oh, I get it! You swing the _other_ way, huh? Maybe I can watch some time?"

"Let go of me, Jerome. Please."

He let go of one arm and grabbed the other. His grip caught the fresh cut and Felicia let out a cry of pain. "Hey! Back off!" Chris said.

"I was just trying to talk to the girl," Jerome said innocently.

"Talk to someone else, Dumbass," Chris said. Felicia was surprised, but she had to admit, she was mildly amused by Chris calling Jerome names. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Felicia said quickly.

Chris looked at her arm and paled. "Go on," he said to Jerome. "Get out of here."

Jerome walked away, not looking to fight with someone who might be able to take him. Chris looked at her and said, "How deep is it?"

"What?" Felicia asked.

"You're bleeding, Felicia. He put enough pressure on your sleeve that it bled right through. Is it bad?"

"It's nothing… A scratch… I must have-"

"Felicia… Please don't lie to me. I'm worried about you."

She sighed and rolled her sleeve up. Her arm was bleeding more than she'd expected. "Damn," she whispered.

Chris took her back to the bathroom and automatically began cleaning her up. "Thank you…" She said when he was done.

"I'm here, okay? But next time, try to grab me before you do this… I'll never judge you, Felicia… But I'd like to help," Chris said.

She nodded. "I'll try," she said, but she knew it would be impossible. She'd spent her entire life keeping secrets. She didn't know how to stop.

 _ **ARTIE  
**_ Everyone seemed to be having a great time for what was supposed to be a funeral. Artie heard wild cheers as a crowd surrounded a table. He was horrified when he realized his father stood on it, completely drunk and taking off his shirt.

"Dad!" He said, mortified. " _Seriously_?"

"Woo-hoo! Take it _off_ , Baby!" Jamie teased him. She shoved a dollar bill at him and stuffed it into his pants.

"Devon! Get that idiot off the table so I can put him through it!" Mark shouted.

"I ain't even touching that," Devon said. He shook his head. "Seriously, though, Matt… Put your damn shirt on, boy! Nobody needs to see that!"

As his father started getting even wilder, Artie ran from the room. Markie chased after him. "Wow! Your dad can't hold his liquor for shit," she said with a laugh.

"I need to get out of here," Artie said.

"Okay. Where do you want to go?"

"Clubbing. I need something that's completely separate from this… I can't keep thinking about Terry."

"If you go, I go. You're not hitting up a gay club without your beard."

"Fine." He knew better than to argue with her.

Vinny walked by and Markie grabbed him. "Wanna come to a gay club with me and Artie? It'll be fun!"

"A… _What_ now?" Vinny asked.

"A gay club. They're awesome, and I need company. Artie's going to end up hooking up with some hottie and I'll be all alone."

"Markie!" Artie said, horrified.

"Relax, Artie. Vinny's not going to judge you or tell anyone." She looked at Vinny and added, "Right?"

"No, of course not," Vinny said. "Markie told me what she's doing for you… It makes everything with Carrie and Craig that much more ridiculous. But don't worry, Artie. I'm totally cool with it. Who you're into is your business and no one else's."

"I wish my dad felt like that," Artie said with a sigh.

"Come on, Vinny. Let's cheer my boy up," Markie said. She hooked one arm through Artie's and one through Vinny's and led them away. Artie noticed Craig watching them leave, but he didn't try to follow them. He'd avoided Markie all day, and Artie was relieved. The last thing the Brunks needed was Craig bringing drama to the funeral.

As they headed out, Artie hoped he would find comfort in the club. It was the only place he felt like he could just let go, and it had been violated by the dirtsheet photographer who'd spotted him. He needed to claim it or he had nothing… And Artie needed _something_. His depression was always so close to the surface… He couldn't risk it coming back full-force. He wasn't sure he'd survive it this time.

"Stop moping and have fun," Markie said as she guided him and Vinny into the club. Artie decided that was excellent advice.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

 _ **CHRIS**_

He was wandering the halls of the hospital aimlessly while Felicia sat in her mother's room with Phil. Chris might have appeared to be alone, but he wasn't really. He never was.

 _Pity about that one,_ his dad said. _She's terminal. Oh, and that guy over there? He's her husband. Yeah,_ That guy's _got an STD because he cheated on his dying wife. That's what we call karma, Buddy._

 _Thanks for the commentary, Dad,_ Chris replied. He was extra careful not to react aloud. They were in a hospital. They had a psychiatric ward. The last thing he needed was for someone to assume he was having another schizophrenic episode. Chris had been forcibly committed a couple of times. His teachers in school knew about his "condition," so the second he slipped and talked to "himself," he ended up back in the hospital. Some stays weren't so bad, but others... Chris shuddered as he remembered the place that had decided meds weren't enough and had used ECT on him. The shock treatment had left him catatonic for three weeks. After the first "session," when he finally recovered, they did it again, at a higher dose. They tried to tell his mother he'd retreated into himself for unknown reasons, but she'd figured out what happened somehow. After six more weeks on this unauthorized treatment, his mother had completely freaked out on them and fought for his release. With Tommy's help, she'd sued the bastards, but Chris barely remembered that. The ECT had left holes in his memory, and as a result he refused to talk about, he'd lost several of the memories of his father from before he'd died. He couldn't forgive them for that, and he never really trusted doctors after that.

In spite of all of that, he'd mostly kept his grades up. He'd wanted to go to college, but right as his first semester started, he'd been institutionalized again and he'd given up on that dream. Wrestling was enough. To support himself and help his mom out, Chris got a job in a stockroom of a warehouse. He kept to himself and worked hard. He'd moved out, but not far away from his mom. He'd only been hospitalized once since then, and only for a week. Still, Chris was terrified he'd be locked up again any second, so he tried very hard to hide the fact that his father never left him.

 _Hey, you see that doctor over there?_ His dad asked. _He's totally about to make an ass of himself. Watch this!_

"Dr. Gordon," the man said to a female doctor. "You're looking lovely today."

"Thanks, Bobby."

"So... Would you like to catch a movie with me tonight? Maybe head out to dinner afterward and then back to my place?" He suggested.

"I'm pretty sure my wife wouldn't appreciate that, Bobby..." She smiled.

"I... Oh... Oh! I'm sorry." He paused. "Is Dr. Gracen still single?"

"Dr. Gracen is my wife," Dr. Gordon said. She laughed at his shock and walked away, leaving the doctor named Bobby with his jaw dropped.

 _Priceless! Now that's entertaining!_ His father said with a laugh.

 _Don't you have better things to do?_ Chris asked him.

 _No. It's follow hospital gossip or watch Melissa fade away, and that's just too hard._

 _I get it. I don't like feeling helpless, either._

 _Hey, what's up with you and Felicia, Buddy? She's a great girl! You should kiss her again!_

"Oh my God, Dad, _stop!"_ Chris said in embarrassment. He froze as he realized he'd spoken aloud. No one seemed to notice, but Chris swore he could feel eyes on him... Like someone was watching him closely.

 _What?_ His father asked innocently. _It's just nice to see you happy, Buddy. I know how lonely you are. I don't want you to be alone, Chris. You deserve a girl who makes you smile... A girl who understands you._

 _A girl who doesn't think I'm a total nutjob and run screaming in under three weeks? That'll never happen,_ Chris replied.

 _Felicia won't turn on you. She likes you, Buddy. I can tell. And she knows I'm really here. She believes you._ His father paused. _Be careful, Chris. There's trouble._

 _What trouble?_

 _Someone's watching... He's too close to everything... He shouldn't be here... You can't trust him, Chris!_

"Who is it, Dad?" Chris asked aloud without even realizing it. He was too nervous now. "Who can't I trust?"

 _I can't tell you... There are rules, Buddy... But he's out to get you all. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. He's after ECW and he's out for blood._

 _Who? Triple H?_

 _No... He can only get so close. I'm talking about his spy._

Chris froze. _Paul has a spy? But we're family, Dad. All of us... Nobody would betray ECW._

 _He's not one of you. He doesn't care. He has an agenda, Buddy. You can't let him destroy you. He messed with Artie, which caused everything with Craig and Markie, which led poor Carrie to be alone and vulnerable that night... And that's messing with Luke... Look in on him, Buddy... He needs a friend... And there's more coming. He won't stop. He took a break because of Terry but he's around, Chris. He's_ watching.

Chris shuddered. He knew it was true. He could still feel eyes on him. He was in danger. They _all_ were. _What do we do?_ Chris asked.

 _Stand together and fight like hell... For ECW and, especially, for each other._

Chris had a feeling they were in for their biggest battle yet.

 _ **EVAN**_

He was sitting at a picnic table outside of the hospital looking over paperwork. There was so much to be done to get ECW up and running again now that they owned it. He'd taken some time after Carrie's attack, but now he had work to do.

"Damnit," he mumbled as he looked over the numbers. They needed a budget that was better put-together. This one was a mess and wouldn't work. It wasn't sustainable in the slightest. Evan had a Masters in business management, and right now, that was unexpectedly helpful. Most of the others didn't have the focus or discipline to handle all of these numbers, but he was a Heyman, and he'd be damned if he let the new ECW end up bankrupt like the original promotion.

"Is this seat taken?" Kim asked as she joined him. She was wearing sandals and a very cute skirt and blouse that surprisingly caught Evan's attention. He didn't usually think about what his friends wore, but Kim looked really pretty, and it only seemed right to tell her as much.

"Is that new? It's cute," he said. "You look nice."

Kim blushed and flashed him a bright smile. "Thanks. And yeah, it is." She paused. "Is that ECW stuff?"

"Yeah. I have a lot to catch up on."

"Let me help." She sat at the table across from him and took a stack of papers. "Wow... This is a mess. Are you hungry? You need brain food! I brought extra food figuring someone might need it. I promise it's peanut free!" She started pulling out a bunch of food. It was enough to feed a small army... Or Bubba.

"Kimberly Laughlin, you're my hero!" Evan informed her as he realized how hungry he was. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten... Probably the night before at Sandman's. He grabbed a chicken sandwich.

Kim smiled and began to eat her own food. She'd chosen a cheeseburger and fries. He loved that the twins didn't eat rabbit food. Their father generally refused to touch salad, so it wasn't a shock. Kim and Briana just worked out a lot to make up for it.

With food in his system and Kim by his side, the task of redoing the entire budget didn't seem so difficult anymore. In fact, it might even be fun. Kim inspired hope in Evan that they were really going to pull this off. He liked working with her... He also just liked being around her in general. Kim's cheerful nature was contagious, and right now, it was nice to have a little bit of sunshine in his life.

 _ **CRAIG**_

Technically, he knew he should go home. Craig had no reason to stay now that he'd paid his respects. No one was really talking to him much except for Artie, and it was even awkward with him. Still, Craig needed to do something useful. He had heard that Carrie and Luke were doing a lot to fix up the Brunk house, and he was good with his hands, so he called Carrie. He hadn't seen her since everything had gotten out of hand except briefly at the funeral, and he hadn't had a chance to talk to her.

"Carrie's phone," Luke answered cheerfully.

"Hey, Luke," Craig said. "Do you guys need a hand? I've got some free time."

"Um... Let me check," Luke said. He actually muted the phone, and suddenly, Craig realized even Carrie might not want to see him... How hypocritical would _that_ be? He started to get offended, but Luke came back. "Sure, dude. We could use some help."

"Great. I'll be right over." Craig was relieved to have a task to focus on. He was sick of having too much time to think. Markie wouldn't speak to him and most of their friends had pretended he wasn't there the last couple of days. Aiden and Luke had kept it civilized, but everyone else made it clear they hated him... Except for Artie, but it was obvious he was torn. Craig had never felt so alone in his life. Somehow, he had to make it right. Yes, he'd done something stupid, but how was that anyone's business but his and Markie's?

He arrived at the Brunk house and tried to push all of that out of his head. Luke let him in. Craig was surprised to see Carrie scrubbing down the newly exposed floor. The carpet that had been there for decades had been pulled up and the floor beneath it was both filthy and damaged.

"Hey, Carrie," he said.

"Craig," Carrie replied, scrubbing harder.

"How are you feeling? I... um..."

"You heard. I'm fine, Craig. Don't worry." She started to scrub even harder. It looked like it should hurt to scrub that hard, but Carrie barely seemed to notice.

"Carrie, slow down," Luke said gently.

"I can't. There's, like, a thousand layers of dirt and filth here and no matter what I do, it won't go away."

"Carrie-"

"It won't come clean, Luke! It's too filthy! I can't fix it!"

Craig was alarmed. He'd never seen Carrie freak out like this. He could tell it wasn't really the floor she was talking about.

Luke looked like his heart might break. He pulled Carrie into a tight hug. "It's okay," he said gently. "It just needs some work. It'll get there."

"Are you sure?" Carrie had tears in her eyes, causing Craig to become even more alarmed.

"I'm sure, Carrie. We can fix this. I promise."

Carrie nodded. Craig hesitated before moving closer. "Carrie... Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine... It's just this stupid floor. It's disgusting," Carrie said.

"Here. Let me help," Craig said. He tried to take the scrubber from her, but as soon as his hand touched hers, Carrie jerked away.

He was stunned. No one had ever flinched from him before. "Carrie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out, but you know I won't hurt you," he said.

"I know... I know. I'm fine," Carrie insisted.

"Craig... Maybe you should go upstairs. Terry and Melissa's bedroom is wrecked. You could start there," Luke suggested.

"Luke, I'm not going to hurt her," Craig insisted again.

Luke grabbed his arm and led him into another room. "Dude, we both appreciate your help, but Carrie's... not herself. And she can't handle you being right on top of her."

"I didn't do anything to her. Why am I, specifically, an issue?"

"You were the last person she slept with before the attack."

"The last person she...? Wait, was she _raped?"_ He felt a lot of different things in that moment. Anger, pity, and even guilt.

"I thought you knew?"

"My dad just said she was attacked... Oh my God... I had no idea it went that far."

"It did... And she barely got away. So you, being the last guy she was with... I dunno, I guess it's bringing it to the surface for her."

"God, Carrie... I should apologize-"

"Just give her some space, bro. She needs to process whatever she's feeling and calm down. She was fine before you got here, and she'll get back there. Just give her time."

Craig was hearing that too much lately. First, he'd broken Markie, and now it seemed like he'd broken Carrie, too, without even _doing_ anything to her. He was starting to get really frustrated. "Fine. I'm sorry."

"You didn't know. It's not your fault."

Craig nodded. "Thank you...Luke, how did it happen?"

"She was at a bar... Alone, although I happened to show up after she got there. Carrie sort of went on a bender after everyone flipped out on her. Anyway, she went to the bathroom, and there was a guy waiting... She fought, but she was in bad shape, and he beat the hell out of her and he... He raped her... And she stabbed him in the dick so she could run, but she wasn't able to get far, and I found her... Someone sent him after her, but we'll never know who because I attacked him and he's dead." Luke stared at his feet.

"Jesus, Luke... I'd have killed him, too."

"That doesn't make me feel better. Your judgement's not great lately, no offense."

Craig was stunned by his bluntness... But he wasn't wrong. The worst thing was that Carrie had been in that bar because everyone had turned on her for what _they_ did. He was at least slightly responsible for this happening to her.

"Maybe I should leave," Craig said.

"No," Carrie said from the doorway. "I'm sorry. It's not you, Craig. I'm just not doing as well as I keep telling everyone I am." She looked calmer. "I started therapy. I'll be okay. Stay. Help. We have a lot of work to do... And I'm really sorry for everything... I pressured you into my dumb idea and I ruined everything. I'm an epic bitch and I get it if you hate me... But I'm trying to work on that."

"I don't hate you, Carrie. It takes two. I was an idiot, but I was also a willing participant."

"Okay. So let's clean up this mess."

Craig wasn't sure if she meant the house or their lives, but he intended to do both.

 _ **BRIANA**_

She'd been pretty busy between consulting on ECW business, making sure her sister stopped to take care of herself every few hours as Kim worried about everyone else, and being there for Phil... And holding Phil's hand... And kissing Phil... She shook her head, trying not to focus on that.

Phil had vanished again. She was making a conscious effort not to stalk him, but her phone was always on for when he suddenly needed her. She was just wandering around the park near the hospital when she spotted him sitting on a bench. He was leaning over something looking more focused than she'd ever seen him. She realized it was a sketchpad.

 _Phil draws?_ She thought in surprise. Tortured artist was the last role she'd expected Phil to play. Apparently, she still had a lot to learn about him.

Briana was about to walk away and give him his privacy when he said, "Hey, Bri."

"Hey. I promise I'm not stalking you," she said.

"I know. It's okay."

"What are you up to?"

"Just fucking around... Doodling."

Briana grinned. "Doodling is good for the soul."

"I guess..." He looked at it and frowned. "It's shit," he declared.

Briana looked down at the sketch. This was no doodle. It was a detailed, life-like portrait of Melissa. "Phil... It's beautiful!" She told him.

"No... It's awful. I can't get her right, Bri... No matter what I do."

Briana's heart broke for him. This wasn't about getting it right... He couldn't save his mother. It was only a matter of time and they all knew it...

"Can I see more?" She knew arguing with him over the quality of such a personal piece was pointless.

He looked embarrassed. "They're shit, too," he said.

"Let me form my own opinion," she said with a slight smile.

He shrugged. He flipped to another page and Briana saw a stunning portrait of Chris with his arms wrapped around Felicia protectively as he leaned over her from behind. Felicia was seated and looking through a book. She had the slightest hint of a peaceful smile on her face. The sadness was in her eyes, but the calm she felt in that moment was clear.

"Phil... Jesus, that's amazing," Briana told him honestly.

"Don't tell Leesh I drew it," he said with a laugh. "She'd be embarrassed... But I was watching the two of them, and it's so rare I see her look happy like that... It was too beautiful. I needed to capture it."

"You did... Perfectly. You're _really_ talented, Phil."

"I suck, but thanks..." He paused. "You wanna see my other favorite?"

Briana nodded. "Definitely."

He turned to a new page and suddenly, Briana was looking at herself. Someone might have said it could have been Kim, but there were subtle details that made it clear this one was a portrait of her. She had her head bent and her hair swept around her face as she laughed. The laughter lit her eyes up.

"Phil..." She shook her head. She had no idea what to say.

"Speechless, eh? Who knew it was that easy to make you shut up?" He teased her.

She couldn't stop staring at the details of the drawing. She knew she was decent looking, but she'd never particularly thought of herself as overly beautiful. This portrait, however, was stunning. It captured her very soul in a way Briana hadn't realized art could.

He paused. "Are you weirded out I drew you? I'm sorry... It's kind of creepy, right?"

"No... God, Phil, it's incredible," she finally told him.

"I just draw what I see in my head... And I guess you were in there."

"So this is how you see me?"

"Yeah... I guess it is."

She smiled before deciding this was a kiss-worthy moment. As he kissed her back, Briana realized she might need to admit there was something more than friendship between them. Or maybe they were just friends who enjoyed making out... But would a friend be able to draw something that captured her so perfectly?

"You're gifted, Phil," she told him after she broke the kiss.

"At making out? You're pretty good yourself," Phil replied.

"No, you dork! At drawing. Your art is fantastic. I had no idea..."

"I don't show it to people... Except Leesh. And sometimes, I used to show it to my mom. She liked it... Encouraged me, even... That's what moms do."

"So why do you hide it?"

Phil turned to another page. Terry looked back at her, angry, menacing, and terrifying. "He never approved... Told me only little bitches draw and I sucked at it anyway... Mom put one of my drawings up on the fridge when I was five and he ripped it off and tore it up in front of me and told us garbage didn't belong on the refrigerator."

"What a dick," Briana said in horror as she imagined how that must have broken a tiny Phil.

"He hated that I kept drawing... He'd throw everything out when he found it, till I got better at hiding it." He shook his head, laughing sadly. "Most teenagers hide their porn under their mattress. I hid my sketchpads."

"You little rebel," Briana teased him gently. Seeing him open up on this level, Briana couldn't deny it... She had feelings for him that went beyond friendship. She just wasn't sure if he felt the same way about her.

"It was the one thing... The _only_ thing I had that wasn't his. My whole life was about becoming a perfect copy of him, and he absolutely hated that I had dared to find a hobby he didn't share." He shook his head. "I tried to stop... But I couldn't. I'd get so much crap building up in my head that I thought it might explode and the only thing that helped was letting it come out on paper. I _have_ to draw, or I start to lose my shit."

"You _should_ draw. And don't let that asshole make you ashamed of your talent. I'm blunt, Phil. I'd tell you if your art sucked. It definitely doesn't."

He nodded, closing the book. "We should get back, Bri. I've been away from Mom for too long."

She didn't argue. Phil wouldn't leave the hospital for more than a couple of hours at a time right now. He knew that at any minute, something might happen with his mother, and he was terrified of not being there when it did.

 _ **TWO DAYS LATER...**_

 _ **CARRIE**_

She saw the number on her Caller ID and sighed. It was Greg Feng, the owner of Philadelphia Wicked Wrestling. PWW was a fairly new promotion. They'd been around for just under three years. Carrie currently held their women's title. They had a show that night.

"Hi, Greg," Carrie forced herself to answer.

"Hey, Carrie," he replied cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Still not well. As I told your brother, I can't appear tonight."

"We need our title, Carrie."

"I know. It's okay. Strip it."

"No, no... You need to vacate it. It's in your contract."

Carrie sighed. "I'll film a promo at home. I'll put you guys over and make you look good."

"You gotta come in person. Read the fine print. It's in there. 'If a champion cannot compete due to illness or injury, he or she must appear in person to address the fans and vacate publicly.' Plain English."

"Greg, it's complicated-"

"Are you in quarantine?"

"No."

"Then your fine ass better show up tonight, Ms. Heyman, or you can explain it to our lawyers."

She knew she needed to tell him the truth. "I was raped, Greg. I can't do this. I'm not ready. I can't be around crowds like that."

He only hesitated for a split second. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm not asking you to wrestle. Just show up and talk. Your last name does not exempt you from your obligations."

Carrie knew she was backed into a corner. She decided she'd play along for now and see if her therapist could help her get out of it. "Fine. Fine, but Evan comes with me." There was no way she was doing this alone.

"Of course. He's your manager."

Carrie hung up and immediately called her therapist. After sitting on hold for a few minutes, she explained what was going on. "Can you put something in writing to declare this is bad for my mental health?" Carrie asked.

"I won't do that, Carrie," Becky the therapist said. "I think it would be helpful for you, knowing your personality, to get back out there."

"I'm not ready," Carrie argued.

"I think you are. You can do this, Carrie. So try to relax, and go out there and show the world who you are."

Carrie tried not to panic. Becky was a doctor. She should know what was best for her... But Carrie really wasn't sure this was a good idea.

She dialed Evan's number. "My shrink says I have to," Carrie explained. "I can't do it alone, Ev... Will you come with me?"

"Of course I will," Evan said. "What scumbags... There are exceptions to every rule. It's bullshit that they're pushing this."

"I don't think I can do this, Evan."

"I do. You're tougher than you think... But you shouldn't have to. And I swear to God, I'm going to make them sorry they did this."

That was how, three hours later, they found themselves backstage at PWW. Carrie had dressed in a loose, very attractive but not sexy pantsuit. Greg stared at her. "That's what you're wearing?" He demanded.

"My contract says I have to appear," Carrie said. "It says nothing about wearing sexy clothing or dancing out to the ring. This is what you get tonight."

Greg scowled and walked away. "You'll be okay," Evan said encouragingly. "I'll be with you the entire time."

Carrie nodded. They were opening the show. As her music hit, Carrie stood close to Evan and walked out. She knew she was perfectly safe with him there. She focused on getting in character.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, _my name_ is Evan Heyman," Evan began. "And _my client, Carrie Heyman,_ has something to say to you unworthy pieces of trash."

Carrie nervously began to speak. "Today, I signed a very lucrative deal with a much better promotion than this sorry excuse for a company!" She felt herself relax as her heel character took over. She could do this. "I refuse to keep wrestling against these pathetic, sub-par wenches! With that said, you can keep this trash!" She tossed the title on the mat.

Suddenly, the crowd began to chant, "Carrie swallows!" Without warning, Carrie began to panic.

She saw her attacker's face laughing at her. _I wonder if that's true,_ he taunted her.

Carrie froze. She couldn't make herself move. She saw him everywhere, a sea of only his face looking back at her and chanting...

"Carrie... Care..." Evan said softly, so the microphone wouldn't pick it up. "I've got you, Care. I'm right here. You're safe." She still couldn't move. Evan turned to the fans and picked up his microphone. "My client, Carrie Heyman, is too good for you peasants! In fact, she's too good to walk on your disgusting ring or your dirty floors!" He scooped her up in his arms like she was a baby. Carrie let him, desperately clinging to him and trying to ground herself.

When he hit the ropes, he gently set her down on her feet. He held the ropes for her. She was operating on autopilot as she stepped through. She couldn't bring herself to go any further than the apron, so Evan scooped her up again and carried her down the stairs and backstage as the fans continued to chant the catchphrase she desperately wished she'd never started.

Evan didn't put her down as they got backstage. She knew it was safe to bury her face against his shoulder now. She breathed in his scent, desperately trying to tell herself that she was completely safe. Evan would never let anyone touch her, and the bastard who'd hurt her was dead.

"Is she okay?" Someone asked as they reached the almost entirely empty locker room.

"No," Evan replied flatly. "Can we have some privacy, Sami?"

Carrie realized Sami Callihan was the person in the room. "Yeah," he said. "But if she needs anything-"

"I'm okay," Carrie finally managed to say. "Thank you, Sami." Sami had been a part of House of Hardcore forever. Carrie knew him well and trusted him.

"I heard you were hurt," Sami said gently. The concern was clear on his face. "Are you okay to be here?"

"I got raped," Carrie said because she needed to own it or she'd go insane.

"Carrie... Shit, Carrie. I'm sorry that happened to you. Did they catch the scumbag?"

"He's dead." She paused. "And Greg told me I had to come tonight even though I told him as much and explained I wasn't ready."

"That bastard knew and he still sent you out there?" Sami looked furious now. "Excuse me for a minute."

Evan and Carrie exchanged a glance. A minute later, they heard a commotion from backstage and followed the sound. "You fucking prick! Is that how you treat your loyal roster members?" Sami demanded. He punched Greg in the face. Carrie gasped. Sami was rarely violent outside of the ring. He was a really nice guy most of the time.

Greg cursed as blood trickled down from his nose. "You're out of here, Callihan! I'm calling the cops!"

"Go ahead! Call them. I'll be happy to tell them why I broke your nose, you unbelievable asshole!" Sami backed away from him. "Do you have _any_ idea who you blackmailed?"

"He's right," Evan said. "I'm going to make sure your little promotion never runs again! You had no right to put my sister at risk."

"She didn't wrestle," Greg argued.

"She told you she couldn't handle this and you still made her do it." He pulled out his phone. As he dialed a number, Greg watched nervously. "Sellie? It's Evan. I need to talk to you."

Greg paled. Everyone in the wrestling world knew who Sellie was. "We can talk about this," Greg insisted.

"The time for talking ended when you ignored my sister."

"Carrie, reason with him. It was in your contract that you had to appear," Greg said. "I just asked you to honor that obligation." He reached toward her.

Carrie flinched. She thought Sami might hit Greg again, but it was Evan who attacked. He flung Greg away from her and straight into a wall.

"If you so much as _breathe_ on my sister, I swear to God, I will make you wish you were dead," Evan said too calmly. It took a lot to turn her brother violent. Carrie realized she was shaking.

"Come on, Carrie," Jess Havok, Sami's girlfriend and one of Carrie's favorite opponents, said. Apparently, Jess had witnessed all of this. She blocked anyone else from getting close to Carrie as she led her away.

Carrie sat in the locker room and cried. She hated herself, but she couldn't hold back her tears. Jess let her cry, not saying anything but making sure no one else came into that locker room. When Sami and Evan finally came back, Evan sat beside her and gently took her hand in his. Carrie felt about six years old, but having her big brother there helped. She finally started to calm down.

"Are you getting arrested?" Jess asked Sami casually.

"Nah, Greg's a bitch. He knows he fucked up, so he's not calling the cops," Sami replied. "Even if he did, he deserved it. I have no regrets."

"Thank you." Carrie managed to say.

"No thanks necessary. Take her home, Evan. And take good care of her."

Evan nodded. "Come on," he said.

"What did Sellie say?" Carrie asked as they walked away.

"To fire your shrink and find one who knows what they're doing... And that we've got a strong case against the promotion, as well as your shrink."

"Okay," Carrie said numbly. She didn't know which way was up at that moment, but she trusted Evan and Sellie to figure it out. Of course, Evan still looked like he wanted to kill... That scared her a bit. Evan was the practical one. If he was this over the edge, how bad had things really gotten?

Evan brought her home and actually tucked her into bed. He stayed with her as she struggled to sleep without her having to ask him to.

"I'm really lucky I have you," Carrie said. "Have I ever told you that?"

Evan looked surprised. "You have now," he said.

She squeezed his hand and tried to sleep. When her mind refused to turn off, she caved and took one of the Xanax the evil shrink had given her. Becky might suck as a therapist, but Carrie had definitely started having anxiety issues. She figured as long as she only took the medication occasionally, it was okay. Within five minutes, Carrie drifted off in her big brother's arms.

 _ **PHIL**_

He sat in his mother's room sketching. He watched her as he tried to capture every detail, but nothing came out right. He couldn't get it perfect. He struggled to figure out what he was doing wrong... Somehow, he'd make it perfect, and then she'd be okay. He knew it was ridiculous, but his mind kept insisting if he just captured the right detail, everything would turn out alright.

"I started drawing again, Mom," he said. His doctor friend had told him that on some level, his mom could hear him, so it seemed rude to be silent. "I know you like it when I draw... I drew something for you... It's your parents and you at the beach when you were a kid... That photo you loved so much. I know Dad destroyed it, but here... Now you have it back. It's not the exact picture, but it's as close as I could get." He put a piece of tape on it and stuck it to the wall. "When you wake up, you'll see it." He didn't let himself say _if_ she woke up. He couldn't go there. Not yet.

He sighed and went back to sketching. He had one sketch he hadn't shown Briana. He was afraid she'd run screaming if she saw it. The piece was very abstract, but it was obviously made up of everything in his head… Drugs, darkness, grief, pain, and every broken piece of his soul, all thrown together into a giant mess. Maybe there was a beauty to it, but mostly, it scared Phil to see it all on paper like that.

Now, he began a new sketch. This one was of his father again. It wasn't like the other one. His father was a corpse, but he was looking at him with cold, dead eyes. Phil began sketching feverishly, trying to get this out before it consumed him. He drew himself into the picture, only it was a younger version. Young Phil stood in the doorway, looking at his father with both terror and grief on his face. His arms were full of holes from where he'd shot himself up. Blood came out of each hole, every drop angrier than the last. His father's track marks matched his own. They were the same.

Phil cursed and flipped the page, not wanting to see that anymore. He needed to draw something better, something happier…

He began to draw himself again, only this time, he was an adult. He sat in Tommy's house, on his couch, with Briana by his side. She punched his arm playfully. He smiled as he drew that. It might seem weird, but Briana keeping him in his place actually made him sort of happy. In the picture, both he and Briana laughed, and he could almost hear it… The sound of her voice as something amused her. He liked her laugh. It was full of hope and sarcasm at the same time. She saw the world through slightly demented glasses, but that meant that his darkness didn't chase her away. She was the first girl who'd seen that side of him and stayed anyway.

"I don't know what's going on with me, Mom," Phil confided in her. "I think I'm starting to do something stupid… I think I like Briana more than I should… But that's dumb, right? She's too good for me. She deserves better." His mother didn't respond, so he decided that meant she must agree with him. Still, as he looked at the drawing, he knew that more than anything, he wanted Briana near him. He needed her in his life, but he was so afraid of ruining hers… He ruined everything he touched. He couldn't let that happen to Briana.

 _Stop kissing that girl,_ he told himself firmly. The idea depressed him more than he expected. _Okay, well… At least kiss her less often?_ He suggested to himself. He had a feeling that wouldn't stick either. He just hoped that whenever whatever this was between them inevitably fell apart, Briana would still be left standing and he wouldn't destroy her completely.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

 _ **ARTIE**_

The last week had really taken a toll on him. Artie recognized Depression rearing its ugly head. He tried to tell himself random hook-ups at clubs were enough, but that was a lie. They just made him feel even emptier. Craig and Markie still weren't speaking, and while Markie seemed to be enjoying spending time with Vinny, Artie knew she missed Craig. Craig was like a different person. He was broken and Artie couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. Everything was falling apart and it had started with him.

His partner for the night wasn't so bad. He'd actually had a conversation with him before suggesting they hook up. Since Markie had been dancing with Vinny, he'd agreed and they'd had the usual slutty sex that came from clubs. Artie hated himself for needing it, but he couldn't let himself connect in any other way. Surprisingly, Xavier had stuck around afterward, making out with him on the dance floor, and now they were sipping drinks with Markie and Vinny.

"Hey, great abs!" Someone shouted to Vinny.

Vinny smiled. "Thanks," he said. "Everyone's so nice at these clubs!"

Markie laughed so hard, she spit out some of her drink. "Oh, Vinny," she said. "You're adorable."

"Why?" Vinny asked.

"He _is_ adorable," Xavier said. "Sweetheart, I assume you're of the hetero persuasion?"

"He's straight," Markie confirmed.

"They're hitting on you, honey. You're gorgeous."

Vinny stared at him. "Are you serious?" He asked.

"About you being gorgeous? Yes." Xavier laughed. "It's a compliment."

Vinny actually blushed. Artie looked at him sympathetically. "They've been hitting on you for days, Vinny," he explained patiently.

"I feel like a moron right now." Vinny said.

"You're just sheltered, and precious..." Markie said. "And _toned!"_

"Oh my God, will you _ever_ let that go?" Vinny demanded, but he was clearly trying not to laugh.

"He's _totally_ toned," Xavier agreed.

Artie sighed internally. He wasn't exactly out of shape, but he was scrawny. He'd _always_ been scrawny. He was certainly no Vinny. He was a twink at best, and that was okay in clubs where people were looking for someone to top, but it didn't leave many options for dating... No one was interested in being seen in public with a loser like him... Not that he could date anyone, anyway. He'd been living back home with his dad since his suicide attempt. That would be hard to cover up.

"Artie?" Markie called gently, the concern clear on her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Artie said automatically. "Just tired."

Markie looked even more concerned and Artie knew he'd messed up. Before his suicide attempt, _tired_ had been his excuse for everything, and it was true. Depression had left him unbelievably exhausted.

"Excuse us, boys," Markie said. She slipped her arm into Artie's and led him to a quieter corner of the club, leaving Vinny with Xavier, the boy who found him gorgeous.

When they were fairly alone, Markie asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... Nothing, I'm-" Artie began.

"Don't lie, Artie. I can tell you're upset."

"I can't keep doing this, Markie. I can't keep pretending to date you, hooking up with strangers in clubs, and going home alone every night. It's too much..."

"Artie, I told you we're only doing this until you're ready to come out. You know I support you, a thousand percent. I will march my Ally Ass in a pride event if that's what you need."

"I don't know what I need... But I can't come out, Markie. Dad will freak, and he's already in bad shape over Sabu."

"Your dad is an ass. You're an amazing guy, Artie. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a son. If he can't love you for who you are, fuck him."

"He's my father."

"He's not acting like one." She hugged him. "Look, do you think my dad would disown me if I told him I was a lesbian?"

"I think Bubba would be relieved, actually."

"Exactly. And if Vinny hooked up with one of these hotties, Tazz might go into shock, but he'd support him. Because that is his son, and he loves him no matter what."

"My dad can't accept it... He swears he's fine with gay people, but his son can't be gay."

"Artie, in this case, your dad's opinion shouldn't count."

"He's still my dad."

She sighed. "I know. And I love you and hate seeing you upset. So I'll play this part as long as you need me to."

"Thanks. I love you, too."

"You better." She kissed his cheek and led him back to the others. Artie tried to push everything out of his mind as they began talking again, but the depression still lingered.

 _ **CARRIE**_

She sat in her new therapist's office feeling nervous. Carrie didn't want to be there. She almost hadn't been able to bring herself to leave the house, but Luke had somehow coaxed her out to work on the Brunk house. Still, Becky had screwed her. What if it happened again? She also hated starting over. In spite of this, she told the story with detachment and gave every horrible detail to Amber, the new doctor.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Carrie," Amber said. "But I noticed something... You keep talking about how you walked into that bar and got drunk and how you had this coming... That's not true. Nothing you did makes this your fault."

"Bad things happen to bad people," Carrie said.

"Why do you think you're a bad person?"

"I've never given a damn about anyone other than myself. I'm selfish. I destroyed my friends' lives because I had a really bad idea that I swore was brilliant." She shook her head. "I'm Carrie Heyman. I don't get raped on bathroom floors. So I must have caused this."

"Carrie... Why don't you explain to me who Carrie Heyman is."

"A bitch. A spoiled princess. A girl with no boundaries who never faces consequences. A dirty, skanky whore who only cares about herself... A slut." Her voice cracked. "I don't like her very much," she admitted sadly.

"Sometimes, it takes something very bad to make us realize we don't like who we are," Amber said gently. "And that is the first step to changing it."

"How can I change who I've always been?"

"You're trying. You mentioned that you're fixing up your friends' house. That's a selfless act."

"It's not enough."

"That's why we call them baby steps, sweetie. You have to take this slowly. Real change doesn't happen overnight." She paused. "And Carrie... I want you to listen to me now. I don't care if you were the Devil incarnate. What happened to you is _not_ your fault and you did _not_ deserve it. Do you understand that?"

Carrie looked at her with tears in her eyes. "I want to believe you, but I can't... This doesn't happen to someone like me. Heymans don't end up in that situation. I got drunk because I felt sorry for myself. I put myself in that bar."

"Your choices put you there, yes. But the man who attacked you is the one responsible for this. You did nothing to make what he did acceptable. You didn't ask for this to happen to you."

"But I'm a Heyman... Heymans are always in control."

"Carrie... This was something you couldn't control. No one could have." Amber paused. "You put a lot of stock in your family name. It seems like a lot of pressure."

"It is," Carrie admitted, surprising herself. "And if I let everyone down, I'll disgrace the family... My father, Paul Heyman, had to rebuild himself up from ruin... He's a legend. People expect things from him... From all of us..." She was crying now. Carrie couldn't understand how she'd hit that point.

Amber passed her a box of tissues. "I'm sorry," Carrie said. "I don't usually cry."

"Crying is good, Carrie. You're getting it out. You need to do that," Amber said.

"Heymans don't cry."

"Maybe it's time you stop worrying about what Heymans do and start thinking about what Carrie does."

"Carrie fucks everything up."

"Carrie doesn't have to. You can heal from this. And I'd like to help you learn to become someone you actually like."

Carrie wondered if that was even possible anymore. "Okay," she said. "Let's give that a try."

"My first piece of advice is to follow the ideas that seem less selfish. Ask yourself if you have anything to gain from your idea, and if you don't, it's not selfish... Like fixing up your friends' house."

"I don't have enough of those ideas."

"I think you may start to. I can see how badly you want to be a good person, Carrie, and I believe you can."

"That makes one of us."

"I'll believe in you enough for both of us until you get there."

Carrie nodded. Maybe this could work. Maybe she could find a newer, better version of herself somehow.

 _ **ABBY**_

She was starting to love the moments she stole away from everyone with Turner. He made her laugh more than she'd expected, and he rolled with Abby's brand of crazy pretty well. She kissed him now, keeping her body wrapped tightly in his arms.

"Abby..." He breathed her name as she kissed his ear.

He shifted their positions, kissing her neck and making her gasp. Abby didn't care how quickly their relationship was moving. She loved being with him, and his touch excited her like nothing else. She pushed him down on her bed and unzipped his pants. Turner moaned as Abby began working him over.

"Jesus... Jesus _Christ..."_ He cried out.

"That's not my name, although I've been called far worse," Abby teased him. Then she took it further, causing him to lose the ability to speak for a moment.

"Oh, _fuck,_ Abby," he moaned.

" _That's_ my name," Abby said. "Good boy. And good boys get rewarded..."

The sex that followed was some of the best she'd ever had. Abby may not have gotten around quite as often as Carrie had, but she had more than a decent amount of experiences to compare this one to. She really liked the way Turner fucked. He was as wild in bed as he was in life. She'd been hoping that was the case, and he certainly didn't disappoint.

 _No regrets,_ she decided. Turner was definitely worth exploring.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She was sitting on Twitter beside Vinny when he stiffened. "Markie..." He said.

"What's up?" She asked.

"We've got trouble." He showed her the dirtsheet article he was looking at.

 _ **KIDD DUDLEY SEEN KISSING BOYFRIEND AT GAY CLUB!**_

"Shit!" Markie said. She saw the picture attached to the article of Artie kissing Xavier. "Oh God, I have to warn him!" She dialed Artie's number. There was no answer. "Damnit, Artie, call me! Don't go online and don't do anything until you call me." She looked at Vinny. "I need to go to him. Right now."

"Of course. Can I help?" Vinny asked.

"I don't think so, but you're sweet to offer." She got up, rushed to her car, and drove, praying she'd get to Artie before his father did.

 _ **ARTIE**_

The banging on his door startled him. "Dad?" Artie asked as he opened it. "What's wrong?"

"You lied to me!" His father shouted.

"What?"

"They caught you! What the fuck is this, Artie?" He showed him the article on his phone and Artie's world broke.

"Dad... It's not what it looks like," he said lamely.

"You're kissing some faggot on the fucking Internet! What else can it be?"

"Dad, please-"

"I want you out of this house. You're a liar and you're... You're disgusting. Just get out!"

Artie was trembling. "Dad, don't do this. Please. I don't have anywhere else to go."

"You should have thought of that before you humiliated me."

Artie felt tears in his eyes as his father tossed a suitcase at him. "Pack up and get out."

Numb, Artie began packing. He heard his phone ring, but he ignored it. He didn't know what to do or where he was going to go. He could pay for some time in a hotel, but not much. He was homeless and completely alone.

A little while later, he'd packed what he could. He decided to stay as long as he could. After three hours, his father had had enough. He dragged him out of the room physically.

"Dad! Please, I... I need you. It's not safe for me on my own... The Depression... I..." He started crying.

His father hesitated for a moment. "You can come home when you get over this. I know you're not some queer, Artie. You're just confused."

"I'm not confused," Artie whispered.

"Then you have no home here."

Artie clutched his suitcase and knew it was true.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She arrived at Artie's house at the same time as two other cars. Her father and Jamie got out of one. She'd called them for help. The other car was Craig's.

"Markie!" He said with surprise. "I... I just... I can go..."

"No," Markie said with a sigh. "Artie needs us both right now."

Craig nodded and said no more as they headed to the front door. It opened and Artie stepped out. "Just get out! I'm done feeling sorry for you!" Matt shouted. "You lied to me!"

"Dad..." Artie pled, but nothing else came out.

"You have no home."

"Like _Hell_ he doesn't!" Markie's father shouted, causing Matt and Artie to notice them. "That boy will _always_ have a home with me!" He put a protective arm around Artie.

Matt stared at him. "Mark-" He began.

"Shut up! You don't get to say another word!" He shook his head. "I'd kick your ass, but you're not even worth the table." He looked down at Artie, fragile and broken beside him, and said, "Come on, Son. Let's go home."

Markie hugged both her father and Artie as they walked back toward the cars. "That was awesome, Dad," she told him.

"That's my man," Jamie said proudly.

"Are you okay, Artie?" Craig asked.

Artie shook his head, not even able to speak. Markie squeezed his hand. "We've got you," she promised. One way or another, she was going to help him through this.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

 _ **ARTIE**_

He didn't know what to do with himself. Artie spent nearly all of his time sitting in Mark and Jamie's guest room. He didn't do much with his time, but he did sit with entirely too many thoughts in his head. He was more depressed than he'd ever been. He'd always expected this to be his father's reaction, but a small part of him had hoped his dad would accept him for who he was.

He made the mistake of going on Twitter. Some Tweets were supportive, but too many were cruel. People mocked him or said it had always been obvious. They called him names... Names he'd been called in school, names that stung, but names that hadn't cut him until he'd heard his own father say them. Now, Artie wasn't certain he'd ever heal from the wounds.

"Yo, Kid!" Mark called. "Come on down. There's food."

"I'm not hungry, thanks," Artie said through his door.

"You gotta eat, Artie. Seriously."

"I'm just... I'm not hungry right now."

"Suit yourself, but you're welcome at our table. Alright?"

"Thanks, Bubba. Really." Sometimes, it was easier to think of people as their characters. Mark easily responded to both Bubba and Bully as though they were his legal names, so it wasn't a big deal to call him that. Almost everyone called Sandman by his ring name. It was a common practice amongst wrestlers to alternate between kayfabe names and legal ones.

Artie spaced out for a bit before he heard a gentle knock on his door. He opened it and saw Jamie's incredibly warm smile greeting him. It actually made him feel better for a split second. Jamie had that effect on people.

"In case you want a snack," she said gently. She handed him a plate of food and a can of coke.

"Thank you," Artie said. He put the food on the dresser.

"Anytime, sweetheart. You're home, okay? If you need anything, just ask." She gave him a quick hug before walking away.

Artie looked at the plate of food. It was a burger and fries, nothing special, but to him, it looked like a banquet fit for a king. Mark and Jamie's kindness left him near tears. He decided it would be rude not to eat and began taking small bites just to be a good guest. He didn't taste anything.

 _Loss of appetite? Check,_ he thought. _Feelings of hopelessness? Feeling alone? Exhaustion? Check, check, and check... Thoughts of harming myself?_ He hesitated. It did seem like his only choice, ending his life to end this pain... But Markie and Craig and Mark and Jamie were trying so hard to be here for him... The least he could do was try to stick around.

Artie looked at the scar on his wrist and traced it with his index finger. "Not today," he said. That was as much as he could promise for the moment.

 _ **BRIANA**_

She was cursing her head off as she looked through her Twitter feed. The photo of Artie was literally everywhere.

"So fucking _what_ if he's into dudes? Who the fuck cares?" She demanded. "Love is love! This isn't a scandal. Go find someone else to pick on!"

"Are you okay?" Phil asked as Briana tossed her phone across the waiting room. He automatically picked it back up.

"I'm fine. People just suck," Briana replied.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing you should be worrying about."

"Bri, you're about to murder your phone. Just tell me."

She sighed. "Artie's gay."

"No shit. I figured that out years ago. I have no idea what the fuck he's been doing with Markie except lying to himself."

"She was playing beard for him."

"The fuck is a beard?"

"A girl a gay guy dates to hide it."

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."

"Someone caught him in a gay club, so Markie covered for him... But now, some scumbag piece of fucking trash took a picture of him kissing a guy, and it's everywhere."

"So? Let him kiss whoever the fuck he wants to."

"Exactly my view." She paused. "I'm glad you're not homophobic."

"Why should I care who Artie's kissing? As long as it ain't me, we're cool."

"People are being really awful... They're basically cyber bullying him. And for what? Because some dickless fuck stalked him and then leaked those photos?"

"Briana... Are you sure it's random?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"The theory was we're all under attack, right? I know this isn't anywhere near what happened to Carrie, but it's still probably destroying Artie's life."

"It is. His dad kicked him out."

"Fuck that guy. Where's Artie staying?"

"With Mark and Jamie. Markie told my dad that Bubba went straight ECW on Spike. He even said he wasn't worth a table."

"Damn, that's the ultimate diss from Bubba!"

"Exactly." Briana paused. "You're right, Phil. This had to be the same guy who sent that bastard after Carrie."

"So what do we do?"

"I'm not sure what we _can_ do. We don't have proof... But maybe Sellie can look into where the photo came from."

"It's not a bad idea."

Briana paused before changing the subject. "Phil... How is she?"

He wouldn't look at her. "The same," he said to his feet.

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. Briana decided not to push him. Instead, she said, "I got you something."

"You did?" Phil asked in confusion.

"I did. Here." She handed him a bag.

Phil's eyes went wide as he pulled out the highest quality colored pencils Briana was able to find. They were expensive, and so were the charcoal ones she'd also purchased for him. "What's this for?" He asked.

"For _drawing_. Duh." She smiled at him.

"Briana... These are expensive... I mean, I've seen this shit before, but I could never afford any of it-"

"Now you don't have to worry about the price."

"I can't accept them."

"You can't return them. I swear to God, I'll swallow the receipt!"

He laughed. "You're out of your fucking mind, Bri. You know that, right?"

"I'm well aware."

He pulled her into his arms with a new familiarity and kissed her. Briana was momentarily caught off-guard by being swept into his arms like that, but she eagerly returned the kiss.

"Thank you," Phil whispered against her lips.

"You're welcome," Briana replied against his.

When Phil walked away, Kim came running over. "Briana! Oh my God! I _knew_ you guys were a thing!" She shouted.

"We are _not,"_ Briana protested. "We're just friends, Kimmy."

"But you just _kissed_ him!"

"Fine. We're just friends who kiss."

"Friends who kiss _hotly._ And that was _so_ not the first time! I can tell!"

"So?"

"You _love_ him! You want to have his babies!"

"Okay, first of all, I don't want to have _anyone's_ babies, certainly not Phil's. Second, he's having a hard time and kissing me seems to distract him."

"So you're saying it's an act of charity?"

"Sure. We'll go with that."

"And you don't get _anything_ out of the deal?"

"Oh my God, Kim, don't you have anything better to do today? Where the hell's _your_ boyfriend?"

"Yonkers, I assume. Crap! I forgot to call him!"

"Great! Why don't you go do that?"

"This isn't over, Briana!" Kim hurried off, presumably to call her loser boyfriend.

Briana shook her head. She didn't know what was between her and Phil, but she needed to figure it out without Kim gushing over how it must be love. For Kim, it was _always_ love. Briana hadn't found actual love yet, but she'd had fun with the guys she merely liked. If it came along, great, but finding true love wasn't at the top of her list of priorities. Briana had more important things to focus on.

 _ **CARRIE**_

She knew as soon as she saw the news that Artie was crushed. She was also shocked she hadn't realized sooner that Artie was gay. She was usually good at that… And it made everything with Craig seem so much dumber. Craig had to have known… So why had he been so jealous of Artie?

Evan had explained to Carrie that Artie's jerk of a father had kicked him out and he was currently crashing with Mark and Jamie. Carrie's heart broke for him. This strong empathy for others was new for her. The first time she'd felt it had been upon learning about Terry and Melissa. She'd been so upset for Phil and Felicia that she'd known she had to do something to help them. Now, she felt it again.

So, an idea began forming in her mind, and Carrie decided to see where it went. She knew she'd need help, especially from Aiden. She called him first. "Aiden, I want to do something," she said.

"What's up?" Aiden asked.

"I want to make a video again."

"Another promo?" Aiden asked in surprise. The last video Carrie had pitched to him had been the cover of _Tell Me Lies_ mocking Triple H and the WWE.

"Not quite... This one's going to go to a much better cause."

"Better than freeing ECW?"

"It's to help Artie. You know what happened, right?"

"No. Is he okay?"

Carrie wasn't entirely surprised. Sometimes, Aiden lived in a bit of a bubble. "Not really… Aiden, it turns out that he's gay… And the dirtsheets ran a picture of him kissing a guy at a club."

Aiden took a deep breath. "Poor Artie… No one should be forced out."

"His dad kicked him out, too."

"Whatever your idea is, I'm in."

"Seriously?"

"He needs us, Carrie. He's got to know he has people."

"Okay, great… I was thinking of doing a cover of Gaga's _Born This Way,_ down to the ridiculous voice-over at the beginning of the original video. We could have everyone be in it and play parts and just let him know how much we love him."

"That's awesome! I can make that work… But you need to do the voice-over."

"Me?"

"Carrie, this is your baby, right? You have to be in it."

"I'd just screw it up-"

"No. You wouldn't. Try, Carrie. Okay? For Artie?"

She sighed. "For Artie," she agreed. Somehow, she'd find a way… She would pull herself together enough to appear in a video.

The next person she called was Tommy. She told him her idea. "I love it! Let's do it," he said.

"Really?" Carrie asked. "I just thought having the parents in it would help him feel better."

"Watching us make asses of ourselves makes _everyone_ feel better. But one thing… Do this tomorrow. I know some people who might like to get involved."

"Like who?"

"Gata and her army of kids, Katred, Brooke, TJ, Striker… The HoH family."

"Great. Get back to me when you know who's in and I'll figure out the concept and really flesh it out with Aiden."

As Carrie hung up, she was surprised how well things were coming together. Maybe this was what her new shrink was talking about… Knowing when it was good to follow an instinct. She began scribbling ideas down as they came to her. Looking at her final list, she knew it was going to be good.

 _ **AIDEN**_

He couldn't believe what Carrie had told him. It seemed unbelievably unfair. He found himself needing to take a walk. He came across a stray dog in the park and called it up onto the bench beside him as he sat down.

"People are really cruel sometimes, my friend," he told the dog.

His new friend rubbed his head against his stomach and Aiden took that to mean that he agreed with him. "That's why I like animals so much," he informed the dog as he scratched him behind his ears. "Who left you here, anyway? You're obviously someone's pet. You're too calm."

The dog didn't respond. Aiden tried to take comfort in petting him for a bit. He knew that this video would need to be the best one he'd ever made. Artie was in a place Aiden had seen too many friends fall into over the years. It wasn't always easy for people to come out, especially to their parents.

"I'm really lucky," he told the dog. "My parents love me no matter what. I could show up tomorrow wearing fishnet stockings on my head and a tutu around my waist and they'd support me."

The dog barked in acknowledgement. Aiden looked around and decided he couldn't leave his new friend in the park alone. "Who wants to come home with me? Is it you?" Aiden asked the dog. He barked again and Aiden knew it was destiny. "Come on, Buddy. I'll figure out your name later." He walked and the dog followed him. That wasn't unusual for Aiden. Animals often decided he was going to be their person, and he was perfectly okay with that.

By the time he reached his house, the dog was ready to curl up on his couch and take a nap. Aiden had dog food lying around because he never knew when a new friend might show up, so he fed him before letting him nap and started thinking about names for him. "Maybe you can be Artie's friend, too," he thought. After all, dogs fixed everything. It only made sense that he'd be able to help Artie.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY…**_

 _ **CARRIE**_

She couldn't believe how many people had shown up to support Artie. All of the ECW Legacies, even Phil and Felicia who were still completely broken, had come out. Her father, Tommy, Trisa, Mark, Jamie, Devon, Stevie, Joey, and even Tazz had come out to try to help. Tommy had brought in the talent he'd promised from HoH as well as Blue Meanie. Even Sandman had shown up, and he was slightly more sober than Carrie had expected.

"Okay, everyone… Thank you all for coming. I really hope we can make something special happen," Carrie said.

Aiden handed her a dog. "What's this?" She asked.

"This is Alvin," Aiden said. "His name means 'noble friend.' We met last night and I brought him home with me."

"Of _course_ you did," Briana said with a laugh.

"So, do I have to, like, _dance_?" Phil asked awkwardly. "Because I can't do that Lady Cha Cha shit."

"Lady _Gaga_ ," Felicia gently corrected him.

"Cha Cha, Gaga, it's all baby talk words. Whatever," Phil replied.

"Don't worry, Phil," Carrie said with a smile. "I picked the parts everyone's best suited for. I'm just really glad you and Felicia are here. I know it will mean the world to Artie."

"He's family," Felicia and Phil said in unison.

"And that's why _all_ of us are here," Tommy said.

"Okay, so here goes…" She went over it with everyone and they rehearsed things for a bit before Carrie felt comfortable that they'd be able to pull this off. When it was time, the video played out exactly as she'd envisioned it in her mind.

Holding the dog, Carrie dramatically read the opening piece, which spoke of good and evil and a powerful being who struggled to choose between the two once evil was born. At the part where she said, "Just put your paws up," she lifted Alvin's paws. The dog was very cooperative.

The music began. Abby started it, singing, _"My mama told me when I was young, we are all born superstars."_

" _She rolled my hair, put my lipstick on, in the glass of her boudoir,"_ Briana and Kim sang together.

" _There's nothing wrong with loving who you are, she said, cause he made you perfect, babe,"_ Trisa and Tommy sang together.

" _So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,"_ Jamie sang.

" _Listen to me when I say…"_ Markie sang.

" _I'm beautiful in my way cause God makes no mistakes,"_ Mark sang flatly. Carrie and everyone else cracked up and they had to reshoot that part. Bubba singing was funny enough, but calling himself beautiful was priceless. She'd been unable to resist giving him the line.

" _I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way!"_ Everyone chimed in.

" _Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you're set,"_ Craig and Devon sang.

" _I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way!"_ Everyone added again.

" _Oooh there ain't no other way! Baby, I was born this way!"_ Luke sang with so much emotion and enthusiasm it made Carrie smile. Luke had been perfect for that part.

" _I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way!"_ Everyone sang.

" _Don't be a drag, just be a queen!"_ Matt Striker sang with the same punch Gaga herself had used in the song.

" _Give yourself prudence and love your friends,"_ Joey Styles and Carrie's father sang. She was relieved her father had agreed to help. He'd probably done it because he was happy to see her doing something with her time other than cleaning up a murder house.

" _Subway kid, rejoice your truth,"_ Stevie and Turner added.

" _In the religion of the insecure, I must be myself, respect my youth,"_ Phil and Felicia awkwardly sang together. Carrie was thrilled that even they seemed to be putting everything they had into this video.

" _A different lover is not a sin, believe capital H-I-M,"_ Aiden sang, briefly coming out from behind the camera to sing his one solo line.

" _I love my life, I love this record and, mi amore vole fe yah!"_ Evan sang. They resumed the chorus.

" _Don't be a drag, just be a queen, whether you're broke or evergreen,"_ Striker sang again, this time with The Clockwork Angel Katred joining him.

" _You're black, white, beige, chola descent, you're Lebanese, you're Orient,"_ Chris sang with Katred as she continued without Striker. Even Chris seemed to be coming out of his shell for this.

" _Whether life's disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased,"_ Meanie and Sandman sang together. That had been an odd mix, but it played out well and Carrie was pleased.

" _Rejoice and love yourself today, cause baby, you were born this way!"_ Everyone sang.

" _No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life,"_ Vinny sang with Gata of the Double Duprees, a horror actress and a valet at HoH who Carrie knew well.

" _I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive,"_ Everyone sang.

" _No matter black, white, or beige, chola or Orient made,"_ Brooke Danielle and TJ Marconi sang.

" _I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to be brave!"_ Everyone sang. They sang the rest of the song in unison.

When it was over, Aiden sat down and fixed it up quickly before playing it for everyone. Carrie was left speechless. Apparently, so was everyone else, because they all sat in silence for a moment.

"You did a good thing, Carrie Heyman," Markie told her. "He needed exactly this, and I think it's perfect."

"I hope so," Carrie said. "Do you think he'll come out of his room long enough to watch it?"

"Screw that," Markie said. "Tweet it to him. Let that shit go viral. He'll see it, and I think it might actually help."

"Is it Twitter ready?" Carrie asked Aiden.

"Give me a night to fix it up better, and it will be," Aiden promised.

She nodded. "Thank you, Aiden… Thanks, _everyone,_ actually. It's great."

Carrie hoped it would give some small amount of comfort to Artie now that he needed it more than ever.

 _ **TURNER**_

His life had gotten stranger somehow. On weekends, he was an indy wrestler. During the week, he was currently spending all of his time either at the hospital supporting his friends while their mother slowly faded further and further away or with his insanely hot girlfriend Abby Styles. That morning, they'd been in a ridiculous but sort of awesome music video with all of their friends and that night, he was entering a drag race.

"Never a dull moment," Turner mumbled as he got into his car for the night. It was a 2018 Dodge Demon, and it was red, his favorite shade of car. It actually wasn't "borrowed" illegally, either. The car belonged to a friend of his who wasn't able to race himself that night.

The race was fairly simple. It was just a sprint, and he knew it would be over quickly, but for those ten seconds or so, all of the world's troubles would disappear. Turner lived for those moments.

The race began and Turner focused only on the task at hand. He was very good at what he did now. He'd been drag racing since before he was legal to drive and over the years, he'd actually developed the skills required to do it well. He hardly ever lost, although he wasn't delusional enough to think he couldn't lose any race he entered. It was hard to predict with all of the guys and girls who raced in Philly. It depended who showed up and what they were driving that night.

Turner felt his adrenaline really start pumping. Too soon, he was at the finish line, and as he'd hoped, no one was in front of him. He got out of the car to cheers. He smiled his biggest smile as Abby ran over to hug him. "That was amazing!" She said, flinging her arms around his neck. She kissed him and for a moment, Turner forgot about the prize for the race. He was reminded when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Here you go," he said, handing him a wad of cash. Turner smirked at the amount before pocketing it.

"Thanks," he said. He looked at Abby. "Hungry? Dinner's on me."

"Drag races do seem to make me oddly hungry," Abby said with a laugh. She slipped her arm through his. He liked feeling her there.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY…**_

 _ **ARTIE**_

He was sitting in his new room, trying to think of it as that instead of as Mark and Jamie's guest room. He'd been in the dark for most of the previous day, but now the sun was up. He could see it even through the curtains. Artie sighed and picked up his phone. That was when he saw a tweet from the official ECW Twitter.

 _TO KIDD, WITH LOVE FROM YOUR FAMILY. WE'LL STAND BY YOU FOREVER. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. WE LOVE YOU!_

He stared in shock and confusion. What was going on? He clicked on the video in the tweet and watched in awe as a brilliant cover of Lady Gaga's iconic song began to play. Soon, as people began to sing, Artie was filled with emotions he couldn't even identify. He laughed as Bubba sang with everyone else. He even smiled as the video continued. He felt something inside of him shift slightly, like the emptiness was no longer quite as consuming. He wasn't alone, even if he thought that he was.

By the end of the video, Artie was in tears. He didn't know what to say or do, so he just sat and watched it again, and again, until he stopped crying. He wanted to thank them for what they'd done, but he couldn't find the words.

Artie was surprised when he slipped out of the house and found Aiden sitting on the porch with the dog from the video. "Hi, Artie," he said. "I thought I'd stop by."

"You filmed it, right? The video?" Artie asked.

"I did."

"It was amazing! I can't… I can't thank you guys enough."

"We love you, Artie. And you needed to know you're not alone. You're far from it." Aiden paused. "This is Alvin. I thought he might make you smile. He's good at that."

"Hi, Alvin," Artie said, petting the dog. He rubbed his head against Artie's hand in response.

"I didn't think you'd all stand by me," Artie admitted after a minute.

"We're your family, Artie. And besides… You're amazing. You should never be ashamed of who you are, because who you are is _beautiful."_ Aiden paused. "You're one of the most beautiful people I know."

"Hardly," Artie said.

"Don't do that, man. Don't knock yourself. You can't see it because the world's beaten you down, but you're gorgeous, inside and out."

Artie stared at him. "Have you _looked_ at me? I'm a dork."

"And that's beautiful, too. You've got this pure heart, and that's rare."

"You don't get it. Gay guys are so superficial sometimes… They don't want someone like me. They want someone who looks like… Like Vinny, or Evan, or _you,_ or pretty much anyone else."

"Maybe you've just been talking to the wrong guys." Aiden leaned over and touched Artie's cheek. It sent a shock though him and he jumped back. "I'm sorry," Aiden said quickly.

"No… No, it's okay… I just… I didn't expect you to touch me," Artie said lamely.

"You probably won't be expecting _this_ either, then." With that, Aiden kissed him. His lips were so unexpected that Artie thought he might go into shock, but he soon found himself relaxing into the kiss. It wasn't hungry or selfish. It wasn't seeking to use him and move on… This was a genuine kiss… It was almost… _Sweet_. That was completely unfamiliar territory for Artie.

When Aiden pulled away, Artie struggled to speak. "I… You…" He said. He shook his head. "I had no idea you were gay."

"I'm bisexual, if you _must_ label it, but I _hate_ labels. And my apologies. It never came up."

"Why did you kiss me?" Artie asked softly. "Was it a pity thing? A show of solidarity?"

Aiden laughed gently. "It was whatever you wanted it to be, Artie. I don't like seeing you sad… And I thought it might be nice to know what it was like to kiss you… I liked it. If you liked it, too, then great. Maybe we can do it again. I'd be fine with that… But I don't want you to feel like you _have_ to do anything. I'm not here to pressure you or even to put moves on you… It's just, in that moment, when the sun hit your hair just right and your eyes started shining with its reflection… I _really_ wanted to kiss you."

Artie was speechless. Suddenly, the only thing that made sense to him was to kiss Aiden again… So he did. This time, he was fully able to enjoy it without the shock making it hard to process what was happening.

"Do you…?" Artie began. He paused. He wasn't sure he should be inviting someone upstairs into someone else's house, even if it was Aiden. "We could go somewhere… And… Um…"

Aiden looked at him with endless kindness in his eyes. "Hey… There's plenty of time for that if we get to that point," he said. "I think I'd like to take this slowly… Savor the journey, you know?"

"You don't just want to hook up?" Artie asked in surprise.

"That's not my style," Aiden replied with a shrug.

Artie smiled at him. "You're definitely not like the other guys I've kissed," he told him.

Aiden gasped overdramatically. "There have been _others_?" He asked.

Artie actually laughed. He hadn't thought he could do that anymore, but this day was surprising him. "Yeah. Quite a few."

"That's okay. It doesn't matter who your first kiss was, or your second, or your eight hundredth. What matters is who your _last_ kiss is with. That's what stays with you. That's the choice that counts."

Shyly, Artie leaned closer to Aiden and kissed him again. "I like that you're my last kiss," he said.

"I like it, too," Aiden said. He wrapped his arms around Artie and added, "I know it doesn't seem like it, Artie, but you're going to be okay. I promise."

Artie leaned his head on Aiden's shoulder. "I know," he said. "I have all of you. How can I _not_ be okay?" He smiled, meaning his words. Even though he was still in pain over the loss of his father and his home, Artie was quickly realizing that he could survive without them. He still had a family. He still had ECW. He still had people who would make ridiculous music videos just to cheer him up and let them go viral. He wasn't alone, no matter what his broken heart was trying to tell him. If he took it one day at a time, he knew he could get his Depression under control… Especially if he had Aiden by his side. This was the last place he'd expected to find a guy who might actually want him for more than just sex, but it seemed that's exactly what had just happened.

Alvin the dog barked for attention, which Aiden and Artie gladly showered him with. They stayed on the porch for a long time until Jamie and Mark came home.

"Come on, Aiden. Stay for lunch," Jamie said.

Aiden smiled. "I'd love to," he replied.

 _Stay forever_ , Artie thought. He knew this couldn't last. Nothing ever did… But he intended to treasure his time with Aiden while he had it.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

 _ **KIM**_

A week had passed since everything happened with Artie. Not much had changed except that Kim had noticed Aiden and Artie holding hands. That made her heart happy. Artie seemed to be doing better, too. Now, however, she had more important things to focus on.

They'd gathered in Luke's room for the sake of convenience. It was on the small side, but only some of them had come to this meeting anyway. Having too many cooks in the kitchen wouldn't be helpful.

"So, I've officially gotten through all of the licensing paperwork and we should have our promotor's license very soon," Evan said.

"Whose name is on it?" Chris asked curiously. Kim was surprised he'd willingly left Felicia's side for this meeting, just like she was surprised her sister had left Phil's, but the Brunks had decided not to leave their mother that day.

"Mine, Kim's, and Briana's. Sellie wanted to keep that number small for now. We'll get anyone else who wants licenses covered later, especially in case the three of us can't be at a show for some reason." He paused. "We already worked out a deal with the 2300 Arena. We're good to run once a month as soon as we're ready."

"That's crazy," Briana said excitedly. "This is awesome."

"I talked to some of my friends," Luke said. "We've got lighting."

"Dad suggested we rent WrestlePro's ring until we get one of our own. It comes with a crew," Kim said. "And they're fast."

"No," Briana said. "Not them. Phil would freak out."

"They have the best ring rental out there," Evan said.

"It's insensitive," Briana insisted. "I like Pat and Kevin, but considering all of the past drama with Sabu, it's not fair to the Brunks. ECW is supposed to be a safe haven for _all_ of us."

"She's right," Luke said. "We could use Hyde's ring. We'd have to build it ourselves, but we can do that."

"Why don't we just buy our own ring?" Chris asked.

Everyone looked at him. "We could rent a storage unit and keep it there," he continued. "I know it's expensive, but it's cheaper than renting one out once a month. We don't need a crew because every last one of us can build a ring, and this way, we don't have to deal with any red tape or politics."

"That's a great idea, Chris," Kim said. "With how often we want to run, it makes sense."

"I haven't budgeted for buying a ring, but let me take a look at things," Evan said.

"Now... Who are we booking?" Kim asked.

"Well, all of us will obviously be on the card," Briana said. "Maybe keep it to us and ECW originals for the first show?"

"That's a start," Evan said. "Abby and her dad can do commentary together. There's no better team."

"Who should be our ring announcer?" Kim asked.

"I can do that. I'll still be Carrie's manager, if she is up to wrestling, but I don't mind ring announcing, too."

"You've got the voice for it," Kim said with a smile.

"Considering the Dudley Drama, let's give them individual matches for the show," Briana suggested.

"Okay," Kim said, making a list. "So, maybe Craig against Vinny... They work well together."

"And Artie against... Hmmm..." Chris thought aloud. "Blue Meanie?"

"I love it! So random!" Kim replied. "And Meanie already expressed an interest in doing a show."

"Who should Markie wrestle?" Evan asked. "One of you?"

"No... Markie needs a new challenge," Luke said. "A legend. What about Danny Doring?"

"She'd love that," Kim said, writing it down. "Hopefully, Danny will go for it."

"For the first show, I'd like to wrestle my best friend," Luke said. "How about it, Chris?"

"I'm in," Chris replied.

"If Felicia's cleared, I'll wrestle her," Kim said.

"I'll take on Carrie," Briana said. "If they pull out, we can always wrestle each other."

"We need to have at least one of us wrestle our parent," Luke said.

"Aiden and Stevie," Evan said. "I've seen them against each other in training and it's magic."

"And an ECW Originals match," Chris said.

"Bubba, Devon, Sandman, and Dad tagging," Kim said.

"Against Rhyno, CW Anderson, Tazz, and Raven," Briana finished.

"With Mom and Jamie managing."

"Who'll manage the other team?"

"The Double Duprees!" Kim and Briana decided in unison.

"They're not from the original ECW, but they're House of Hardcore, so they're family," Kim said.

"And Gata has ten kids. If that's not hardcore, what _is_?" Briana added.

"We need at least one weird gimmick match for comedy," Luke said.

"What about getting RVD and Guido to wrestle Al Snow?" Chris asked

"Okay, but Al and who?" Kim asked.

"Head." Chris grinned shyly. "Al doesn't really _need_ a partner... Luke did say _weird_ , right?"

Kim laughed. "I love it," she said, writing it down.

"That still leaves Phil and Turner," Briana said.

"Have them wrestle each other," Evan said. "Those two work together as well as Alex Reynolds works with Tony Nese."

"He's right," Kim said. "Watching them is a thing of beauty."

"If everyone agrees to appear, we've got one hell of a card," Briana said proudly.

Kim felt her excitement growing. The dream to bring ECW back was becoming a reality. Everything was coming together. It was nice to have something to celebrate with everything that had happened lately.

 _ **FELICIA**_

She'd passed out holding her mother's hand again. Felicia opened her eyes as she heard Phil come back into the room.

"Coffee?" He offered.

"Thanks," she replied. Coffee sounded like Heaven.

Phil stood beside her, leaning against the wall and sipping his coffee. Neither of them spoke. Instead, they listened to the sound of the machines that were keeping their mother alive. It had been their soundtrack for the last several hours.

Suddenly, Felicia felt the slightest shift in their mother's hand. She figured it was a muscle spasm until it happened again.

"Mom?" Felicia whispered. She looked into her mother's eyes as they slowly fluttered open. "Phil! Phil, call a doctor! She's waking up!" She couldn't believe it. Was this really happening?

Phil stared at her for a moment, not comprehending, until their mother turned her head slightly toward him. Then he ran to the door. "Get in here!" He called.

The doctor he'd brought in rushed inside. "She's awake," Phil said urgently. He then sat beside her. "Mom... Mom, I love you," he blurted out. Phil wasn't the sort to do that, but Felicia knew he hadn't had the chance to tell her after she said it to him on the phone. Their father had hung it up before he could. He clung to their mother now. "It's okay," he whispered. "You're safe now. He can't hurt you anymore." He was crying.

As the doctor checked her vitals and responses, she looked concerned. "Is everything alright?" Felicia asked.

"We'll know more later," the doctor said gently.

"Does she need the breathing tube?" Phil asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I don't think she's well enough for us to remove it right now."

Their mother squeezed his hand. "She understands me, right?" He asked.

"Yes, I believe she does... The damage is bad... I don't think her communication skills are where they should be, but she seems to understand everything you're saying..." She paused. "Use this time, guys. Talk to her."

Felicia had a horrible feeling that the doctor was trying to prepare them. She wanted them to say their goodbyes. "She woke up... That's a good sign, right?" Phil asked.

"Don't worry until we run more tests, okay? Just be with her. It's good for all three of you."

Felicia put a hand on her mother's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mom," she said gently. "I love you so much..."

Phil looked at her and mouthed, _Do we tell her?_

Felicia shook her head. Telling their mother that their father was dead might do more harm than good. Right now, they just needed to spend whatever time they had with her.

 _ **CHRIS**_

He hadn't expected to go home to discover a bunch of frantic voicemails from his mother, but that's what he found. He'd left his phone at home intentionally.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Chris asked as she picked up.

"Chris... Honey, are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Why are you freaking out, Mom?"

"You haven't seen it... Oh, honey... Something happened."

His mind immediately thought of ten million worst case scenarios. Had someone died? Was there some kind of accident? "What is it?" He asked nervously.

"Baby... There's... There's talk... About you."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "Somehow... And I swear, when I find out how, heads _will_ roll...Someone leaked your medical records to the tabloids."

Chris felt the world shift. He had to grab a table just to steady himself. "What?" He asked as he sat down shakily.

"Jamie called me. She said there are headlines floating around that are very unkind... And they mentioned your... _situation_ with your father."

Chris couldn't believe this. The entire world now knew he was crazy. He was torn between crying and bashing someone's head in with a chair, but he was pretty sure the latter instinct was actually his dad's thought, not his.

 _It'll be okay, Buddy,_ his dad insisted.

 _Not now, Dad,_ he thought.

.

 _This is what I was trying to warn you about._

"I told you so isn't helpful right now!" Chris snapped.

"Chris... Baby..." His mom said gently.

"I'm sorry. I'm fine, Mom. I gotta go. I love you." He hung up before she could protest.

 _It's not over, Buddy. It's going to get worse for the others,_ his father said.

"Stop it!" Chris shouted. "Please... _Please_ just stop." He was crying now as he looked at the stories floating around online. Every horrible thing he'd tried so hard to hide... The fact that he talked to his dad... The various times he'd been committed... The fact that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and major depression... The many medications they'd shoved down his throat... Even the history of electroshock therapy he never talked about to anyone... It was all out there. The headlines made his heart hurt.

 _SON OF BALLS MAHONEY HAS HISTORY OF SEVERE MENTAL BREAKDOWNS_

 _ECW LEGACY CERTIFIABLY INSANE_

 _JON MAHONEY MENTAL HEALTH IN QUESTION_

 _THE NUT FROM NUTLEY, NJ_

 _That last one's kind of clever,_ his father said gently. _It could be a great gimmick for you._

"This isn't some _gimmick!"_ Chris said. "This is my _life!_ I can't... I can't deal with you right now."

His dad hesitated. _If you want me to stop talking to you... I will, Buddy... But I'll always be with you._

Chris sighed. "No. I don't want that, Dad. I love you... I just... I don't know what to do right now. This is bad. This is _really_ bad."

 _It'll be okay. You just need to embrace it, Buddy. Ride the storm and own who you are... Because you're_ not _delusional, Chris. I'm real._

"The doctors say hallucinations will tell me that."

 _True. But can hallucinations tell you when your friends are in trouble? Or that other things are coming? Am I ever wrong when it counts, Buddy?_

"Never," Chris admitted.

 _See? You're not psychotic, Buddy... You're just slightly psychic. You hear me because we were extremely close when I was alive and I refused to let death change that. I love you. I know it hasn't been easy for you, Chris. I'm sorry for that... But I couldn't bring myself to leave you._

"I didn't want you to leave me... But Dad... How do I fix this mess?"

 _I told you, Buddy..._ Own _it. Stop denying it. I think people will surprise you._

"You want me to tell the world I really do hear you?"

 _I want you to do whatever you need to do. I just want you to be happy, Chris._

Chris wondered if that were possible. The only thing he knew for sure was that he didn't want to be alone. He dialed a number.

"What's up?" Luke answered.

"Luke... Everyone knows," Chris said. "About my dad."

Luke inhaled sharply. "Are you okay? Did your mom flip?"

"She's worried about me. Someone got my medical records and gave them to the dirt sheets."

"Bastards! We'll skin them alive!" Luke probably meant that literally. Chris decided not to ask.

"I just... I don't want to be alone, but Mom will go overboard."

"Come on over. _Casa Sandman_ is your home, too. You know that."

"Are you sure your dad won't mind a house guest? I'd crash at Tommy's, but the twins have been staying in Philly."

"Dude, you're family. And if there's _anyone_ my dad wouldn't hesitate to let crash, it's you. You're Balls' boy. You know what he meant to Dad."

"I do. Thanks, Luke. I'll head your way in a few."

"See you soon, Dude." Luke hung up.

Chris threw some things in a bag and walked out. He dialed his mother as he left. "I'm okay," he said before she could ask.

"Chris, maybe you should come home," she said. "Just until this blows over."

"I'm crashing at Luke and Jim's. I'll be fine. I just need a little space, Mom."

"Okay... Do you have your meds, honey?"

" _Yes_ , Mom."

"Okay. I love you. Please call if you need anything, alright?"

"I will. I love you, too."

Chris hung up and was startled by a thought he had. It was time to prove he wasn't crazy. More importantly, it was time to stop taking the medications that had never stopped his symptoms but had created many additional ones.

"I'll stay on the anti-anxiety meds, and the anti-depressants," he decided aloud. "But if I can find a doctor who's willing to listen to me, I'm getting off the anti-psychotics." He could do this. He could be strong. He was through hiding. It was time to finally show the world who Chris Rechner really was.

 _ **PHIL**_

It had been nearly thirteen hours since his mother had woken up. She was stable, but still in bad shape. Phil had refused to leave her side except to use the bathroom, and he'd only done that once. He was too scared to risk leaving her again.

Felicia had stayed for the duration as well. They'd taken turns talking. Felicia had broken down in tears and apologized for everything that wasn't actually her fault no matter what she thought. Their mother had gripped her hand tightly as if she wanted to comfort her, but she couldn't say anything. Phil had tried letting her write, but she couldn't seem to figure out how to grip the pen, let alone form written words. The brain damage was clear, but Phil tried to tell himself she'd come back from it.

Phil began sketching feverishly, trying to produce as much art as possible. Each piece made his mother's eyes light up slightly. He knew she liked the pictures, and it seemed to be the only thing making her happy, so he kept going.

Suddenly, as he began a new piece, his mother grabbed his hand. She started to twitch. Her eyes began rolling back into her skull. Felicia screamed and called for help. Phil held his mother's hand for dear life.

"Mom!" He shouted. "Mom, just hold on! The doctors are coming... Mom... Mom, please... I love you. Please don't... Mommy..." He was crying again.

Felicia wrapped her arms around him as he refused to let go of their mother's hand. It wasn't until her hand released his that he knew she was gone again. He stepped back, not wanting to believe it.

"I'm sorry..." The doctor said.

"No," Phil said. "She's fine. She's breathing."

"The machine is breathing for her, Phil. You know that," the doctor said gently.

"But she woke up. She... She's fine."

"She had a seizure, Phil. Unfortumately, it had a bad effect on her brain, which was already in bad shape."

"She can wake up again. She woke up once."

"Phil..." Felicia said gently.

"No. She's okay, Leesh. She'll pull through."

"Phil, we knew the fact that she woke up at all was a miracle-"

"She's _fine!"_ He knew he was wrong. He knew this was it... But he couldn't accept it.

"Phil... When you asked me to help, you asked me to tell you the truth. I've done everything I can do. The seizure left her with no brain activity. She's not waking up this time. I'm so sorry..." The doctor looked like she wanted to cry, too, and Phil finally understood. His mother was brain dead. There was nothing left to do except unplug the machines keeping her breathing and keeping her heart beating.

"I... I need time," Phil said. He ran from the room with his sketchpad and proceeded to keep running until he reached the park. Once there, he ripped up every single drawing he'd just made and threw them into the air. They scattered around the grass. They didn't matter anymore. _Nothing_ mattered anymore. He stopped when he reached the sketch of Felicia and Chris and the sketches of Briana. He couldn't bring himself to destroy them. Instead, he closed the book and clutched it to his chest as he cried in a way he hadn't known was possible.

He didn't know how much time passed before a gentle hand landed on his shoulder, but it was probably over an hour. He didn't even look up as he continued to cry. Instead, he let himself break completely and curled into Tommy's arms like he was a small boy.

A while later, Phil mumbled, "How did you find me?"

"Your sister called me and told me what happened and that you ran off. Briana suggested you might be here," Tommy replied patiently.

"Thank you for coming after me."

"No problem. You ready to get out of here?"

"Yeah."

"Come on. I'll buy you and Felicia some dinner. You look like you haven't eaten all day."

"We haven't. But I'm not hungry."

"I'm sure you're not, but you should eat anyway."

Phil nodded. There was no point in arguing, and tomorrow was going to be impossible. He might as well try to get through the night with a support system. Everything in him wanted to call Raven or some other junkie and get high, but he couldn't do that, especially not now. At least if he was with Tommy, he was staying sober.

Phil paused and picked up the mess he'd made. He threw the destroyed art in the trash, the broken pieces reminding him of his own soul as he walked away and refused to look back.


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

 _ **ARTIE**_

He woke up to the unmistakable sound of Jamie crying. He opened the door and looked outside. Jamie stood outside of her and Mark's room looking completely lost.

"They're sure?" She asked Mark.

"There's nothing else they can do," Mark said sadly. He looked like he might punch something or put someone through a table, but that was normal for Mark.

"What's wrong?" Artie asked cautiously.

"Morning, Kid… We gotta talk," Mark said.

"Okay." Artie paused, waiting for more.

"It's Melissa, Artie." Mark sighed. "She woke up for a little while yesterday… The kids got to spend a little time talking to her… But she had a seizure, and… There's nothing more they can do for her. She's brain dead."

Artie shook his head. He'd known it was coming. They all had… But it was still horrible. "Are Phil and Felicia with her?" He asked.

"Yeah… They're going to take her off of life support later."

"Oh God… I feel so horrible for them."

"We should be there," Jamie said suddenly. "The kids shouldn't be alone."

"Tommy, Trisa, and the girls are with them," Mark said. "They're not alone. But I agree. We should be there."

"But Markie… Do you think she can handle this?"

"Do you think we could keep her away if we tried?" Mark asked knowingly.

"Good point. I'll call her."

"No, I'll handle the kid. You and Artie get ready. We'll head out there in a bit."

Artie didn't argue. He hadn't really left the house since the dirt sheets had outed him, but if ever there was a time, this was it. He made sure Jamie didn't need anything before he headed into his room. He began getting ready, then pulled out his phone and called Aiden.

"Hey…" Aiden said, his voice shaking.

"I just heard about Melissa… Are you okay?" Artie asked.

"Not really," Aiden admitted.

"Can I help?"

"You called. That helps." Aiden sighed. "The Brunks are my family, Artie… And now they're completely broken."

"How's Phil holding up?"

"About as well as you'd expect. He's not talking much, but he texted me… Told me this is it for her. I hurried to the hospital, but I haven't been inside much… I just checked on them and let them know I was here… It's too hard to be in there…"

"How's Felicia?"

"She's talking. She kind of took control of handling decisions, paperwork, and calling people. I think having a list comforts her. She's just going through the motions, checking off the tasks as she completes them."

"I feel awful for them."

"So do I… Chris and Luke showed up about ten minutes ago, so Felicia's got Chris now… Sandman's been out here with me, and Luke keeps running back and forth between all of us. I'm surprised Chris came. Apparently, his mental health's all over the internet today."

"Seriously?"

"Someone stole his records and leaked them to the dirt sheets."

Artie shook his head. "Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself. Being outed is awful, but having your mental health put on blast is so much worse… Is he okay?"

"I think he's too busy focusing on her to think about himself right now." Aiden paused. "No one's said it yet, because we all got thrown off by what's going on with the Brunks, but Artie… This is obviously connected to what happened to you… And we're pretty sure that goes back to whoever went after Carrie. This person is coming after us with everything he or she has."

"We'll deal with it… But today, I think we all just need to put everything aside and focus on the Brunks. They need us."

"They do. And that's what we do. When things get crazy, ECW just grows stronger. I don't think whoever's after us has figured that out yet."

"They're about to learn the hard way."

"Yeah…" Aiden took a deep breath. "Artie… I miss you right now."

"I'm on my way. Jamie and Mark are heading to the hospital in a few and I'm coming with them."

"Good."

"Will you be okay, Aiden?"

"I'll be better once you get here."

Artie's heart melted. Aiden said the sweetest things, and Artie was pretty sure he didn't even realize it. That's just who he was. They'd only been… well, _whatever_ they were… for a week, but Artie was already insanely attached to him. He had never connected to anyone like that before, but Aiden was different. Artie was pretty sure this was what people felt when they said they were in love, but he was afraid to say that out loud. He didn't want to send Aiden screaming in the other direction. It was too soon to say things like that. For now, Artie was okay with it being his own personal little secret.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She knew she needed to be strong for the Brunks, but a small part of Markie was refusing to let her step into the hospital. "Are you okay?" A voice asked.

Markie jumped, but relaxed when she saw Vinny. "Yeah," she lied. "I'm fine."

"Markie… It's okay to be freaked out. None of us want to have to be here for this. It's a horrible situation."

"It's more than that…" She shook her head. "I just… I remember what it's like to be where they are, Vinny. I told the two of them not to give up on her. I told them that no matter what the doctors said, there was always a chance… So many doctors told me my mom was terminal… That there was no hope, and I should just accept it… But I refused. I never gave up… And one day, she was just gone." She closed her eyes and blinked back the tears that tried to fall. _Oh no you don't,_ she told them. _It's not one of your designated Hot Mess days. Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars…_

"I'm sorry. I know this must be hard for you. Loss is _always_ hard." He looked haunted.

"Watching someone die is harder than just losing them," Markie replied. "Knowing you're going to lose them… Having them die in front of you… Knowing you can't stop it… That's the worst feeling in the world."

"I know it is. And now matter how much time you have, it's never enough to say everything you need to say…"

"Aly loved you, Vinny. And she knew you loved her."

"Is it that obvious? I shouldn't be thinking about her right now. This has nothing to do with her."

"Grief is grief. And your grief is still pretty fresh."

"I guess time heals all wounds?"

"No. Time just makes it easier to fake it." She shook her head and forced herself to smile. "Enough with our emo time, right? Today's about Phil and Felicia. Today sucks for them, and they need us, so we're going to go in there with our emotions in check and we're going to be there for them."

"Right. Come on." Vinny took her hand and Markie gripped it for dear life. Somehow, she made herself step into the hospital. The rest came easier. They had a mission. She could focus on that and then she wouldn't keep thinking about her mother.

 _ **AIDEN**_

He was still outside of the hospital when Artie showed up with Jamie and Mark. "Come on," Artie said, taking his hand.

"Where are we going?" Aiden asked.

"To see Melissa."

"No… No, Artie, I'm fine. I'm just going to stay out here, and when it's over, if Phil and Felicia need me, I'm here."

"Aiden… You need to do this. You said it yourself. The Brunks are your family. You need to say goodbye to Melissa before it's too late."

Aiden felt like he might start crying, and he really disliked that feeling. "It's too much, Artie… I can't."

"Yes you can. You're stronger than you think… And you need this. I'll be with you every step of the way, Aiden. I promise."

Aiden nodded. He knew Artie was right. He reluctantly walked inside. When they reached the hospital room, he hesitated again. "You can do this," Artie said again.

Aiden took a deep breath and walked into the room. "I… I'm here to…" Aiden began.

"Of course you are," Felicia said quickly. "And you should be." She took his free hand and led him closer to the bed, then gave him some space. Even Phil stepped back a bit.

"Melissa, I…" Aiden tried. He shook his head. "I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I'm so sorry… I wanted to help you so many times, but I was just a kid… And then… And then when I was older, you just… You wouldn't let me… You were so good to me… You made me laugh and you listened to me ramble and you made me sandwiches, and they were really good, too… And I just… I'm so sorry." He looked at Artie, who stood in the doorway. That gave him the strength to keep going. He had to get this out. He didn't have much time… "I love you. I really do… And I don't want to say goodbye. I can't… So I'm just going to say that I love you, and I hope you're happier now, and out of pain, and… And…" He closed his eyes. "And I'm going to miss you."

He kissed her hand before stepping back. He gave Felicia a hug. "She loved you, too," Felicia told him. "You're part of the family."

Aiden looked at Phil. "Brother..." He said. He patted him on his shoulder. Phil pulled him into a hug, surprising him.

"Thank you for coming," Phil managed to say. "It means a lot."

Aiden nodded before walking out the door. He stumbled once he was out of the room and the weight of everything hit him. Artie steadied him. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Actually… Yes," Aiden replied. "You were right. I needed to do that. It was the right thing to do…" He led Artie to the waiting room where everyone else was gathering. He wasn't going back outside until this was over.

Artie continued holding his hand and Aiden was surprised. He hadn't been sure how much PDA Artie would be okay with. He was happy they were together. It was a bright spot in what had been a very dark month.

 _ **LUKE**_

He was surprised to see Carrie walk into the waiting room with Evan. "Carrie?" He asked. "You're here?"

"No. I'm a ghost," Carrie teased him.

"I just… I know this hospital isn't your favorite place in the world…"

"Melissa's about to die. Phil and Felicia are about to become orphans. I think I can suck it up and put my issues aside for a day."

"Well… I'm glad you came. I'm sure they will be, too."

"How are they?" Evan asked.

"Phil's pretty much gone mute, and Felicia's playing hostess. She's taking care of everyone else and trying to keep things pleasant and I'm pretty sure she's having a complete nervous breakdown on the inside, but it's hard to tell with her. She's always kept everything in."

"Is Chris here, or did he stay home? I mean, I wouldn't blame him," Carrie said.

"He's here. He's staying with me, and as soon as Felicia called and told my dad what happened, we all got in the car and came… Dad's outside. He's too freaked out to actually go see Melissa, but he's here… With beer… Ready to serve anyone who needs it."

"So pretty much the same as always?"

"Basically. This is what he does. It's good, though. The ECW originals need him. He keeps them going."

"Like you," Carrie said with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Luke, what do you think you do for all of us? You're the one who brings us back together when everything falls apart."

"I just supply the beer and bring great music."

"Sometimes, that's all we need." She hugged him.

As one of the doctors who'd worked on Carrie walked by, she stiffened briefly. Then, she rushed over to her. "Hi," she said. "I don't know if you remember me, but I just wanted to thank you…"

"Of course I remember you, Carrie," the doctor said. "And there's no need to thank me."

"Yes there is. You treated me with respect and kindness when everyone else was looking at me like I was some kind of criminal or slut or something… And you deserve a thank you, but I wasn't really in the head space to give you one."

"You're welcome… How are you doing now?"

"Actually, better. It hasn't been easy, but I think… I'm sure I can get back to where I need to be. I just need to do some more work first."

"Well, don't we all? Good luck."

The doctor walked away and Carrie walked back over to Luke and Evan. "That was nice of you," Evan said.

"Yeah, nice is something new I'm trying out," Carrie said. "I sort of like it."

"The apocalypse has come. All is lost," Evan teased her.

Chris poked his head into the waiting room. "Guys… If anyone else wants to say goodbye, now's the time," he said sadly.

Carrie and Evan opted not to go into the room, deciding it was better not to overwhelm Phil and Felicia with too many people saying goodbye. Luke, however, felt like he needed to be there.

A very small group of people stood in the hospital room surrounding Melissa. All of them had already said goodbye, and so had Luke, but now, they were going to be there for the hardest part. Tommy and Trisa stood with Kim and Briana. Kim was crying silently and trying to hide it as she learned against her father. Briana stood strong, but Luke could tell how upset she was. She kept her eyes on Phil as they waited. Chris stood beside Felicia. Aiden had rejoined them. He looked completely broken, but he'd apparently decided that he belonged there, just like Luke had. The two of them had grown up in that house. Turner was also in the room. Abby was back in the waiting room, but Turner had been close to the entire Brunk family, too.

"Wait!" Someone said.

Luke spun around, stunned to see his father come running into the room. He looked at Melissa and started to cry. Luke immediately hugged his father, trying to comfort him. "I'm okay, Lukey," he promised him. "I just… I needed to man up and be here for this. It's the right thing to do."

"Thank you, Jim," Felicia said.

Phil nodded at him, but said nothing. Luke released his father and remained at his side as they faced the horrible scene in front of them.

 _ **PHIL**_

His chest was tight, but he ignored it. They had to do this. It was cruel to keep her on the machines for no real reason. Her body would just die slowly anyway, and she'd be trapped in there… He shook his head.

"Leesh…" He whispered.

"It's time," Felicia replied softly.

He nodded. He kissed his mother's forehead, then stepped back. "Okay, Doc," he said. "Just do it."

The doctor turned off the many machines their mother was hooked up to. Phil watched as his mother's chest rose and fell a few times on its own as the last of the air the machines had pumped into her passed through her body. Then, with a final exhalation, she stopped breathing. It happened so quickly, Phil couldn't even process it. That was proof that she'd already been gone in his eyes. They'd done the right thing… But if that was true, why did he feel so horrible?

Suddenly, he couldn't breathe at all. He felt like the machines that had been turned off had sucked out all of his air, too. His mother was dead. She was gone. Just like that…

Felicia began to cry hysterically, finally unable to keep her emotions in any longer. Phil automatically pulled her into his arms. Even if he couldn't breathe, his sister needed him. He had to be strong. He was all she had now.

"Shhh, Leesh… She's not in pain anymore," he told her.

Felicia gripped him tighter. Phil clung to her for dear life, understanding why she did the same. Neither of them seemed to be able to breathe now. Then, something happened.

Slowly, an army of people surrounded them. Tommy, Trisa, Turner, Luke, Sandman, Chris, Aiden, Kim, and Briana wrapped them in their embrace and somehow, Phil felt the air returning to his lungs. They were alone… But they were never _actually_ alone.

"I'm so sorry, Phil…" Briana whispered against his ear.

Suddenly, Phil didn't care who was around. As Felicia shifted into the arms of Chris, Phil pulled Briana into his and kissed her. He needed to feel her. He needed to feel _alive._

"Oh… Well… _That's_ unexpected," Aiden mumbled.

"Whoo! Good for you, Kiddo!" Sandman said. That was probably highly inappropriate, but so was Phil kissing Briana in that moment. Besides, nothing about Sandman was appropriate any other day, so why should today be any different? Sure, Phil and Felicia had literally just lost their mother, but that didn't mean the world had stopped turning for everyone else.

"What the…? Phil, I know you're having a rough time, but um… Briana, when the hell did _this_ happen?" Tommy demanded.

"Oh, Tommy..." Trisa said with a laugh. "You and that wrestling bubble! I saw this coming right after we took the kids in."

"We're just friends?" Briana tried to say.

"You're more than my friend," Phil said. He looked at his mother and said, "You'd be relieved I fell for a decent girl for once, right?"

"Phil… Are you okay?" Turner asked as Phil quickly looked away from his mother's body.

"No," Phil said. He proceeded to hug his sister again before looking at Chris. "Take care of her?"

"Of course," Chris replied.

Phil looked at Felicia. "Call me if you need me, Leesh… But I need to get out of here."

"I know you do," Felicia said. "It's okay. Go. I'll be alright."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Phil? Do you need company?" Turner asked.

"Not tonight," Phil replied. "Thanks, Brother."

He walked out of the room and kept walking until he was out of the hospital. Then he wandered aimlessly, not sure where he could go anymore but knowing he needed time on his own.

He ended up outside of a familiar house. It belonged to a dealer he'd once gone to at least three times a week. He thought about going inside. He could get high and forget all of this pain. No one had to know. He could escape for just this one night… That was all he needed, just one night before he had to accept all of this…

"No," he said aloud. "That's what _he_ would have done. And it's _never_ just one night." He took several deep breaths and tried to walk away, but his feet refused to move.

"I don't want to do this," he told himself. Maybe if he said it enough times, he might believe himself. He closed his eyes and struggled to think. Where else could he go? He couldn't go home… It wasn't home anymore anyway. He couldn't go back to his hotel. He wanted to be alone, but he didn't really. He just needed to go somewhere safe for the night… Somewhere no one would find him.

He drove until he reached the house he was looking for. It might surprise people who he'd chosen to go to, but technically, this person wasn't a Pat Buck guy. He'd stuck with Eric and PWS after the split and he and Phil had wrestled quite a few matches together. He was a friend and mentor, and he was someone who wouldn't ask a lot of questions. He rang the bell even though it was getting late.

Devon Moore opened the door and looked at Phil for a moment. "Bad day?" He finally asked.

"She's gone. We pulled the plug a few hours ago," Phil said without further explanation.

Devon inhaled sharply. "Come on in," he said. When Phil sat down on his couch, Devon went to grab a couple of beers. Phil decided one beer was acceptable given the circumstances. "This really sucks, Phil. I'm sorry."

Phil knew he meant that. Devon didn't say anything he didn't mean. "Thanks," he said.

"Do you need something stronger? You know I've got shit upstairs."

"That's not why I'm here," Phil said quickly. "I just… I needed to go somewhere that wasn't my dealer's house."

"Are you clean?"

"Yeah."

"Damn! I'm proud of you, brother. Really. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Me either."

"So you're trying to stay clean and you came to see a member of the Nation of Intoxication?" Devon laughed. "You see the irony there, right?"

"Absolutely. Can I crash tonight?"

"You know there's always a spot for you on my couch, Phil. You've been crashing with me since you were, like, fifteen."

"Thanks, Devon. Really."

"Anytime."

Phil settled in and texted Felicia to tell her where he'd ended up. _At Dev's. Keep it 2 urself pls. Call if u need me._

She sent back, _I'm glad you're safe. Give Devon my love._

Satisfied, Phil switched to drinking water and tried to forget what he'd just done. It may have been the kind thing to do, but he still felt like a murderer. If he'd just gotten to her sooner, his mother never would have been in that situation to begin with, and now he'd gone and pulled the plug on the machines keeping her alive. He felt like a monster. It might be irrational, but the feeling didn't want to go away. Maybe he should have kept drinking beer…

"Phil, if you need to talk, I'm a pretty good listener," Devon said.

"I don't want to talk," Phil said. "I just want to stop thinking for bit… But without getting high. How do people _do_ that?"

"Netflix, dude. Make friends with it." Devon turned on the television. "You have your pick of whatever crappy, ridiculous thing you want to watch. Trust me, it helps."

Phil began scrolling aimlessly through the selections until he found something that didn't require thinking and didn't remind him of either of his parents. He decided that was good enough and put it on. It didn't fix anything, but it was nice to have the briefest of distractions.

Eventually, Phil drifted off into an uneasy state of unconsciousness. At some point, he woke up and realized someone had covered him with a blanket.

 _Thanks, Devon,_ he thought before he drifted off again. By some small miracle, it was a dreamless sleep, and that was better. Phil was positive he wouldn't have been able to handle whatever nightmares his screwed up subconscious tried to toss at him that night. Then again, they couldn't have been any worse than what he would wake up to… A world without either one of his parents.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

 _ **FELICIA**_

She'd spent most of the last twenty-four hours making phone calls. Felicia had decided to keep her mother's service private so it didn't turn into the circus her father's funeral had been. Only the people who belonged there would be allowed in. She'd gone as far as to ask Tommy to hire his favorite and very trusted security guards from House of Hardcore to make sure no one crashed the service.

Now she was exhausted. She rested her head on Chris' shoulder. He held her in silence. It soothed something in her. Felicia hoped Phil would come back soon, but she knew he needed this time to be on his own. Devon Moore would take care of him, but he wouldn't push him. Her brother was in good hands, and he'd promised to come back for the funeral.

Since Phil was horrified by both the idea of cremation and the idea of burying their mother, he'd left the choice up to Felicia. She was the practical one and he couldn't handle either possibility. Felicia had opted to go with a traditional burial for now. They could always choose to cremate her later if they changed their minds, but if she had chosen cremation, that couldn't be undone.

She went down her mental list of everything that needed to be done. She'd done it all. The funeral was paid for. Tommy, Trisa, Mark, Jamie, Devon, Sandman, and Stevie had split the costs, insisting Felicia and Phil not pay a dime. She'd tried to politely refuse, but the truth was, they didn't have the money to have a nice funeral, and she thought her mom at least deserved that much.

With nothing left to do, her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Felicia was tempted to run to the bathroom and hurt herself, but looking at Chris, she hesitated.

"Chris..." She said softly.

"Yeah?" Chris replied.

"I'm... I'm not okay," she admitted. It was impossibly hard for her to say those words aloud. She always fought so hard to convince everyone that she was fine.

"How can I help?" Chris asked.

"There's a blade... In my bag. I really want to use it... So I need you to keep it away from me."

"I can do that," he promised. "And I can listen if you want to talk."

"I can't. There's nothing to say." She sighed. She hurt so much... She needed to get it out, but she couldn't. She'd just given away her only option for release.

"Felicia... Just say what you're thinking. Start rambling. Say whatever pops into your head. It helps. Trust me... I'm sort of an expert on therapy, and talking helps the most. Maybe not about the issue they wanted me to discuss, but other things... Depression, loneliness, and especially grief... You can't keep all of that in. You have to talk or you'll snap."

"I don't know how to talk... I was never allowed to do it before."

"It's time to learn. Baby steps, okay? Just don't get lost in your head. That's what makes it get worse." He paused. "Felicia... It's time to stop keeping their secrets for them. There's no point anymore, and they're eating you alive from the inside."

"I can't, Chris..."

"You can. It's time, Felicia. If I've learned anything recently, it's that secrets _always_ come out. It's a lot better if it's on your terms and not someone else's."

"Did something happen?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. I'm okay... But I know how much you're hurting, and I can see what it's doing to you, and you have to let it out. You have to start doing things for yourself instead of for everyone else."

"I'm terrible at that."

"I noticed... But I'm here to help." He kissed her forehead.

She moved until she was looking at him. Then, shyly, she kissed his lips. Chris kissed her back and for the briefest moment, Felicia hurt less. "I love you, Chris," she whispered. It scared her to say it, but she had to. If she was really going to find her voice and try to speak, that seemed like as good a place as any to start.

"I love you, too," he told her. He kissed her again. Felicia closed her eyes and shut the rest of the world out. If she could freeze that moment in time, she would live in it forever, and she'd be able to breathe again. Unfortunately, that wasn't how things worked. Still, it was nice to have a single shred of peace to escape into, if only briefly.

 _ **PHIL**_

He woke up the next morning dreading everything. He wanted to just keep hiding at Devon's, but he'd promised his sister he'd go back for the funeral. With a groan of resignation, Phil stood up and headed into the bathroom. He caught a glimpse of his reflection and froze. His father stared back at him.

He was younger, of course, but his features were so similar... He stared at his long, curly black hair. His father had kept his the same way. Phil's hair reached all the way down his back and stopped just above his hips.

"You can't show up to the funeral looking just like the bastard who killed her," he told his reflection. He began frantically searching for a knife. It didn't take him long to find one. Devon had knives literally everywhere. He stared at his reflection and grabbed some of his hair in his free hand. He proceeded to chop it off. It was drastic and for some reason, he did it again. His breathing grew rapid as he moved quicker, frantically hacking away at his hair. He kept doing it until he'd chopped off most of it. The hair fell just barely past his chin now and Phil no longer recognized himself. He stared at his reflection, finally slowing his breathing down, and looked at the mess he'd made in the bathroom. Quietly, he left to find a broom and swept the hair up, throwing it all away. Then he got in the shower and tried to function.

When he came out and saw his reflection, he no longer saw his father. That was a start. He got dressed in the suit Devon had picked up for him and headed downstairs.

"Thanks for everything, Dev," he said.

Devon looked up and did a double-take. "Um… Nice," he said. "But come here." He pulled out scissors from a kitchen drawer and began trimming some of the ends. "That's better. It's even now. Do you want me to go with you today?"

"Nah... I'll be okay," Phil said. That probably wasn't true, but Devon had already done more than enough. "I'll see you soon."

"Take care of yourself, Phil." Devon let him leave and Phil began driving to the last place he wanted to be.

 _ **TURNER**_

He pulled up to Abby's house and she hurried to the car. Turner smiled when he saw her. "Nice dress," he said.

"You look good, too," she said. She kissed him and he began driving.

"Today's going to suck," he said.

"Yeah," Abby agreed. "At least it's over, though. They aren't going to be stuck in limbo at the hospital anymore. As impossible as it seems, maybe they can start to heal now."

Turner knew she was right, although he couldn't imagine anyone healing from what the Brunks had been through. It was too much to ask of anyone.

A song came on the radio and Abby cranked it. She began singing along loudly and without shame. Turner smiled. _God, she's sexy,_ he thought to himself. He was positive there was no other girl in the world quite like Abby.

He decided to join her and began singing, too. It was a surprisingly good way to relieve some of their stress. They kept it up until they reached the funeral home. Turner turned the volume off before pulling into the parking lot.

Looking at Abby, Turner couldn't imagine ever hurting her. Drugs had made Terry turn into a monster and he'd ultimately killed his wife. Suddenly, Turner was glad his recreational drug usage had never turned into a full-on addiction. He knew he was done with that shit. He hadn't even considered getting high since he'd started dating Abby, but he decided he might as well make it official. He reached into his hiding spot and pulled out the stash he always kept around just in case he ended up partying.

"What the hell is _that_?" Abby asked. He could tell she knew damn well what it was.

"Ancient history," Turner said. "Never again," he said to the drugs, needles, and rolling paper in his hands. He stepped outside of the funeral home parking lot. He felt Abby's eyes on him as he walked down the block and crossed the street. He proceeded to throw the entire thing into the trash where it belonged. As he walked back to the parking lot, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He should have done this sooner, but the shock of the entire thing had kept it from fully sinking in. Terry's death had been horrible, but Turner had seen a lot of overdoses in his life. Finding out his father had overdosed had basically turned him off from the drugs as it was, but knowing what Terry had done to Melissa sealed the deal for him.

"That was awesome," Abby said, "but very illegal. Needles are supposed to be turned in at hospitals or other official places."

"I've got a record. I don't need to show up at a hospital with all that on me," Turner said. "I just needed it gone... Especially today. It's disrespectful to bring that crap around Melissa now."

Abby kissed him. "I'm glad you got rid of it," she said.

"I haven't used since we've been together," he said quickly.

"I know. I wouldn't have stayed with you if you were wasted."

"Another reason I'm glad I threw it away." He kissed her again.

"We should get inside," Abby said.

He nodded, and they headed into the funeral home holding hands. Some things were easier to do with someone else. Knowing Abby was with him kept him grounded.

 _ **BRIANA**_

She waited for Phil to arrive nervously. Felicia was dutifully sitting in the front row with Chris by her side, but her brother was nowhere in sight. After checking on Felicia and Chris, Briana ducked back outside.

Phil's car pulled into the parking lot a minute later. He turned it off, but nothing else happened. It seemed that Phil wasn't ready to get out of the car. After several minutes, he finally opened the door. Briana was startled by what she saw.

"Hey, Bri," he said.

"You... You cut your hair," she said, not sure what else to say.

"I got tired of seeing him every time I looked in the mirror."

"Oh, Phil..." Her heart broke for him. She studied him thoughtfully. The way his hair framed his face now, it actually brought out his features better. His eyes had always sort of been hidden behind his hair and the shadows it wrapped his face in, and it was almost like Briana was seeing him for the first time. "It looks good," she said honestly.

"Does that mean you'll still make out with me?" He teased her.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I've got easier access to your lips now that your hair's not hanging in your face," she replied with a laugh. She pulled him closer and kissed him. It didn't matter who might see them now that Phil had kissed her in front of everyone. Luke and Kim had spread that around like wildfire as soon as they'd seen everyone else. Briana let her fingers play with his new haircut as they kissed. It was short, but it was still long enough for that. She smiled as she rubbed several strands between her thumb and index finger.

"Briana... I love you. And everyone I love fucking dies or fucks me over, so just... Please don't. Okay?" Phil asked.

She'd rarely seen him so openly vulnerable. "You're not getting rid of me," she promised. "And... I love you, too..." She was terrified to say it. She'd always teased Kim for declaring she loved every boy she met... But she knew it was true, and she knew Phil needed to hear it. Somehow, Briana had fallen in love with the very last person she'd expected to. She took a deep breath and added, "So I won't be fucking you over. I promise."

Phil nodded. "I guess I gotta get in there, right?" He asked.

"That's generally what people expect, yes... But take as much time as you need."

"There's not enough time in the world... Besides, Leesh needs me. I left her for too long as it is."

"Chris has been great with her."

"I knew he would be. He's basically the only one I'd have trusted with her. Still... I gotta do this. I... I owe her that much." Briana knew he meant his mother.

She took his hand and led him inside. "I'm with you, okay?" She told him as she felt him tense. "Whatever you need."

"I know you are," he said. "I just don't know what that is right now."

Briana squeezed his hand supportively as the other mourners saw them. Several of them stared at Phil. Luke's jaw actually dropped.

Felicia stood and joined them. She immediately touched Phil's hair. "I... I had to," he told her.

"It looks nice," Felicia said. "It's just quite a change... You've had long hair since we were five."

"I couldn't come _here_ looking... Looking like _him_ ," Phil whispered.

Felicia pulled him into her arms. "You never looked like _him_ , Phil. You looked like _you."_

"There _was_ no _me_... But now, I look like someone else. It's a start... Is it awful? I hacked it off myself. Dev fixed it up a little after..."

"You look handsome," Felicia told him.

"You look _hot_ ," Briana added, deciding it was okay for his girlfriend to say that... And since he'd expressed she was more than his friend, Briana was pretty sure that's what she was, even if they hadn't used the term yet.

Phil looked at someone behind her. Briana realized the doctor had shown up. "Give me a minute?" He asked her.

"Of course," she said. She walked away, leaving Phil to do whatever he needed to.

 _ **PHIL**_

He looked at his friend and sighed. "Hi, Doc," he said. "Thanks for coming."

"I like the hair… Change is good," she told him.

"Thanks."

"Look, Phil, I got pretty invested in your mom's case. I decided I should see it through to the end."

"Does she look awful?"

"Considering the shape she was in, this place did an excellent job with her."

"Okay. Good." He wasn't sure why it mattered... His mother had always been beautiful to him, but he didn't want her to be remembered looking battered and bruised and broken.

"Phil... I thought you might want this back." She handed him the sketch of his mom on the beach with her parents. Phil almost started to cry. Instead, he nodded.

"Thank you. I forgot I left it in her room."

"Do you need anything?"

"I don't even know."

"You have my number. Use it, alright?"

"I will. Thank you." He hugged her. "I know you did everything you could... And you're the only reason we got to say goodbye. I don't think she'd have woken up if you hadn't worked so hard to save her."

"You don't have to thank me."

"Yes I do. You did all this for free just because we met a while back. You didn't have to help."

"She deserved help... And you and your sister deserved a chance."

He nodded. "I need to go over there now... To see her. I know that's what I'm supposed to do."

"Take your time, Phil. It's okay."

"If I don't do it now, I never will."

She didn't protest anymore. As Phil reached the casket, his knees gave out on him and he stumbled forward. He knelt to try to cover that up.

He tried not to look at her as he put the sketch into her casket. "Now no one can take it away from you," he said softly. He forced himself to look at her face. She didn't look as horrible as he'd imagined. The funeral home had done their best not to paint her up like a drunk hooker or anything… But she still didn't look right. She was dead. She would _never_ look right.

"I love you," he told her. "I'm so sorry, Mom… I'm _so_ sorry." He choked on his tears, refusing to let them fall. He was shaking violently. He tried to stand up, but he couldn't. His legs refused to obey him.

A hand reached toward him. Phil looked up at Turner. "I… I can't move…" He said.

"You _can_ , Phil. I've got you," Turner promised.

Phil took his hand and struggled to stand up. Turner helped keep him on his feet as he looked down at his mother one last time. "Goodbye…" He whispered. He closed his eyes and turned away from the casket. Turner helped him walk toward the seat Felicia had saved for him.

"Are you okay?" Felicia asked.

"I don't know," Phil replied. At least he was being honest about it. "Are you?"

"I don't know," Felicia replied in an identical tone. He was surprised she'd admitted that much. He saw her playing with her sleeve and knew she was having bad thoughts. Felicia often rubbed her arms or played with her sleeves when she was over the edge. It was a symptom of her anxiety, and she never seemed to realize she was doing it unless someone called her on it. Phil chose not to. Instead, he just took the hand that was fidgeting and held it.

"I'm here, Leesh," he said. "You've still got me."

She squeezed his hand in response. Phil could feel her relaxing slightly. He was relieved he could at least manage to do that much.

"It's all today, right?" Phil asked after a minute. "You set it up so we have this viewing and then we go to the cemetery?"

"Yes," Felicia said. "She hated funerals. She'd have wanted us to do this quickly."

"Good. So after today, we're done."

"Yes."

"Leesh… The house is ours, but… I don't… I don't want to stay there. I mean, we can keep it if you want…"

"No. No, I don't think I want to go back there either."

"So we'll sell it…" He paused, then looked at Tommy. "Can we still stay with you guys?" He asked.

"Phil… You don't even have to ask. Of _course_ you can still stay with us," Tommy replied. "You have a home with us for as long as you want it. And I'm going to fix up the basement a bit and set up a space just for you so you can actually have a room and not be stuck on our couch."

"You don't have to do that."

"You should have a bed, Phil."

"I can always bunk with Felicia. We did it all the time back home… Whenever it got to be too much to be alone, you know?"

"Just as long as you're not sneaking into _Briana's_ room," Tommy said with a slight laugh. "But seriously, I want to set up a space for you, okay? You should have that."

"Okay… Thank you." Phil was just relieved he'd be welcome back into Tommy's house. They weren't in danger anymore, and now Tommy knew he was dating Briana… Or at least kissing her. Technically, they hadn't ever been on a date… He should probably try to do something about that soon. She deserved to be more than the girl he grabbed at random and made out with. Briana had more class than that.

He was busy thinking about all of that when the viewing ended. He had spaced out and stopped paying attention, but he assumed someone had come in and made some sort of speech to mark his mother's passing. He and Felicia had opted not to do eulogies. It had been hard enough at their father's funeral. They couldn't listen to a bunch of people talk about their dead mother, too.

He went through the motions, getting into his car. Briana looked at him. "I came with Dad. Let me drive. You shouldn't have to right now," she said.

Phil nodded. "Okay," he said. "Maybe Leesh should come with us."

"Chris drove her here. She's with him."

Phil was relieved his sister had a ride. She shouldn't be driving, and she definitely shouldn't be alone. He moved over to the passenger seat and Briana got in and started to drive. Felicia hadn't wanted a limo, so she'd asked that the people paying for everything not get one. Briana followed the hearse and Chris and Felicia were right behind them.

"So… We're dating now, right?" Phil asked. "Like, if I ask you out, you'll say yes and we'll do something that doesn't revolve around hospitals and death?"

"Yeah," Briana said. "I guess that's how it works."

"Good. Where should I take you?"

Briana glanced at him. "You seriously want to talk about this _now?"_ She asked.

"It's talk about this or talk about the fact that we're driving behind my mom's dead body. Yeah, I _seriously_ want to talk about this now."

Briana nodded. "Okay. I'm a pretty easy date. If it's fun, I'll try it. We could go to a movie, or do something more adventurous… Have you ever been rock climbing?"

"Nope. I figure if I was meant to climb rocks, I'd have been born with grips on my hands."

"It's amazing. You should try it."

"That's really what you want to do?"

"It's the ultimate high without any narcotics. I think you'd like it."

He shrugged. "Okay. Where do we do that sort of thing?"

"We could do the lame version, indoors at some activity center… Or we could be out in nature, taking a risk but living… _Really_ living."

"That's a concept… Okay, fine. We'll go to some nature place and climb rocks. Where do we get equipment?"

"There are rentals. I know what we need. I'll hook us up."

"I thought the guy was supposed to pay and arrange all that shit."

"Welcome to the modern age, Phil. Women can do those things, too. I don't mind."

"Alright… But I'm paying for dinner. I'm not some freeloader."

"Sharing the cost of the date is the right way to do it, so that's fine. When do you want to do it?"

"Soon… I mean, as much as I like making out with you, I should probably make an honest girl out of you and take you on a real date as soon as possible, right? We didn't do this the traditional way."

She laughed. "Phil, what the hell about us is _traditional_?"

"Good point."

They arrived at the cemetery and Briana turned somber. "We're here," she said.

"Yeah, Bri… I know," Phil replied. He sighed. "Let's just get this over with." He got out of the car and tried not to think about what he was about to do.

 _ **FELICIA**_

As they gathered around the casket, Felicia looked at everyone. Chris stood beside her, a fact she was grateful for. Briana and Phil were on her other side. Kim, Tommy, and Trisa stood nearby with Jamie, Mark, and Markie. Sandman and Luke stood together. Carrie clung to Evan, somehow managing to keep herself standing in the crowd without running away. Their father stood behind them. He shot Felicia a sympathetic look before focusing on the casket again. Artie, Aiden and Stevie stood with Blue Meanie. Raven stood off to the side with Tazz and Vinny. Craig and Devon stood by themselves toward the back. Craig caught Felicia's eye and moved closer to her and she stopped taking inventory of who else had shown up.

"Hey," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Felicia said automatically.

"Have you eaten today, Felicia?"

"I'm not very hungry."

"I know, but you're swaying." He pulled out a candy bar. "Eat this. It'll bring your sugar up and keep you from fainting."

"Thank you… That's very sweet of you, Craig."

He sighed. "I've messed up a lot lately, but the one thing I know how to do is take care of someone who's too stressed to take care of themselves."

Felicia took a bite of the candy bar and realized she did feel better. She was definitely in need of sugar. "You can still fix it, you know," she said kindly. "It's never too late… Not as long as you guys are still alive."

"Don't worry about me, Felicia. This is your day to freak out."

"I don't really _let_ myself freak out."

"You need to. You can't keep this all in… Keeping everything in leads to trouble."

"Chris told me the same thing."

"Chris is wiser than people give him credit for." He gave her a hug. "I should get back to my dad… But I wanted to check on you."

"Thanks, Craig. And don't give up, okay?"

He smiled sadly. "I'll try," he said. He walked away. Felicia felt bad for him. She hoped he and Markie would find a way to work things out. Life was too short…

Chris took her hand as the final service for her mother began. She tried to focus on what was being said, but it was impossible. Suddenly, the weight of everything hit her. She'd been running through the motions. She'd had a list, and she'd completed it, and now she was standing in a cemetery about to bury her mother… Her mother was dead because her father had killed her, and it was all her fault…

She was hyperventilating and she knew it. She tried to tell her body to calm down, but it wouldn't listen. She sank to her knees and started crying, unable to stop. Everything inside of her came rushing out and suddenly, she couldn't fake it anymore. She scratched at her arms automatically, not even really registering what she was doing.

"Leesh! Felicia, _stop,"_ Phil said urgently. He was holding her hands to keep her from hurting herself. "It's okay," he said. "It's okay, Leesh…"

Felicia forced herself to focus on his voice. Chris knelt beside her now, too. "We're here, honey," Chris told her gently. "Just breathe."

She tried, but she couldn't. Breathing was suddenly impossible. "Felicia? I can give you something to help calm you down," the doctor said gently. Felicia hated that everyone was staring at her now. "Come on, sweetie… Let's just take a walk, okay?"

"No… No, I'm okay," Felicia insisted.

The doctor helped her back to her feet. Phil pulled her into a hug. "Just breathe, Leesh," he said. "One breath at a time."

"I… I can't," she whispered.

"Then let Doc help you."

"I don't want to take anything… I just… I can't… I…" She looked at the casket and cried out, "This is all my fault!"

"Felicia… Honey, it's not your fault. Not any of it," Chris said.

"We never should have left her there…"

"No," Phil said sharply. "Stop that right now. You know what? She was our mother, Felicia, and I loved her, too… But she never let anyone help her. We tried. Tommy tried. People _tried,_ but she refused to let them help… And that's not your fault… Or mine." He was crying now, and suddenly, Felicia focused.

"Phil… It was never your fault," she said.

"It was never _either_ of our faults." He shook his head. "It just _was._ We did everything we could. _All_ of us did."

No one said anything for several moments. Finally, Phil said, "I love you so much, Mom… I just wish you'd loved yourself half that much."

Felicia was still crying, but her breathing had calmed down. Somehow, now that the dam had burst, she felt a little bit better. Maybe she'd just needed to hear Phil accept that neither of them had caused this tragedy… He was the only person she'd believe because he was the only one who understood.

As the service resumed, they tossed lilies on her mother's casket. She'd loved lilies… Felicia and Phil were the last two standing at the casket. In unison, they released their flowers. Phil wrapped his arms around her and led her away. It was over. There was no going back. Tomorrow, the universe would keep spinning, and somehow, Felicia and Phil would have to figure out a way to rejoin the world of the living after a month spent between a hotel and a hospital.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

 _ **ONE WEEK LATER…**_

 _ **ARTIE**_

He woke up in Aiden's arms. That hadn't been intentional. They'd been watching movies on Artie's bed and he must have drifted off to sleep while Aiden was holding him. Apparently, Aiden hadn't had the heart to wake him, so he'd simply stayed.

 _I've never woken up in anyone's arms before,_ Artie thought. The guys he slept with never stuck around until the next day. Most of them barely stuck around long enough for Artie to pull his pants back up. Yet here Aiden was, and they hadn't even had sex.

"Morning," Aiden said with a yawn.

"Yo, Kid! Breakfast!" Mark shouted from downstairs.

"Oh God… Oh my God, Bubba's gonna kill me…" Artie mumbled. "I didn't even ask if you could stay over…"

"Relax, Artie. I'm sure he won't mind," Aiden said. He let Artie go and stood up. He opened the door and stuck his head out.

"Morning, Aiden," Jamie said cheerfully as she came down the hallway. "I made extra, so come on down when you're ready."

"Wait… You knew?" Artie asked.

"Sweetie, of _course_ I knew. His car's still outside, and I _may_ have kidnapped the dog when you weren't looking last night." She turned around. "Alvin! Come here, sweetie!" She called. Alvin obediently appeared moments later and ran into Jamie's arms.

"Careful," Mark said as he appeared. "She might just steal him for good if you let him out of your sight for too long."

"Well, _look_ at him! He's just too precious, Mark!"

"Come on, Kids. Eat."

"Mark… I'm sorry I didn't ask if Aiden could stay over," Artie said.

"Hey, it's your house, too, Kid. I took you in fully aware that you might eventually bring a boyfriend over."

"We just fell asleep watching movies."

"That's fine. And for the record, I don't care what you guys do in the privacy of your bedroom. My one rule is don't knock up my kid, and since there's no risk of that happening, we're good. Now let's eat before I starve to death."

 _I see where Markie gets that dramatic death-by-hunger bit from,_ Artie thought as he smiled to himself.

Artie had never felt as accepted and loved as he did sitting at that table. Jamie and Mark talked and laughed while they ate. They engaged him and Aiden in animated conversation as Jamie fed Alvin some eggs, apparently to make his coat shiny. This seemed to please the dog greatly. Looking at all of them, Artie realized that he truly was home.

 _ **KIM**_

She was sitting on her bed with Jack. He'd been spending as much time as possible with her since she'd been back home, and she was happy about that. She'd missed him, too…

Her phone began to ring. Kim looked at it. "Hang on," she said. "I have to take this."

"Okay," Jack said, but he seemed disappointed.

"Hey, Evan, what's up?" Kim answered it.

"So, I looked at things, and we can definitely afford to buy a ring. I'm already looking into places to purchase one and what our options are. There are some good deals out there," Evan said.

"Great! We should definitely have a ring of our own. Chris is right. It makes more sense. What do you need me to do?"

"For that, nothing. I've got it. What I need you to do is get me an update on the booking. Has anyone said no?"

"Not so far. Everyone's pretty excited about doing the show."

"Great. I'm looking into making up contracts for everyone. I'll have Sellie look them over after we're done."

"Awesome. Did you want help? I could meet you."

"No, I'm good for now. How's Jack?"

"Oh, he's great. Right, Jack?" She asked him cheerfully. He gave her a thumbs up.

"Spend some quality time with him. I'll let you know if I need anything else."

"Okay. I'll talk to you soon."

"Yep. Bye, Kim."

"Bye!" She hung up.

"Evan?" Jack asked.

"Yeah."

"Again." It wasn't a question.

"Jack, we have a lot of work to do for ECW."

"You just got back from spending an entire _month_ with him, Kim… When do I get you to myself?"

"Right now," Kim said quickly. She kissed him. "I'm sorry you feel neglected, Jack… It's just… The Brunks are family, and they needed us."

"I know. I get it… I just missed you."

"I missed you, too."

He pulled her closer and kissed her again. Kim allowed that to go on for a bit, but the second he tried to go further, she pulled back. "Jack…" She said.

"Right. Right, I know. I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to push."

"It's okay… Just… Not yet, okay?"

"Okay."

Part of Kim wondered if she should just cross that line already. She wasn't a virgin, and she really liked Jack… But it wasn't right yet. She wasn't ready to give that last piece of herself to him. Jack was just going to have to learn to accept that.

 _ **CHRIS**_

He was a nervous wreck. He needed money, so he'd agreed to take a gig and work a show in a fairly small promotion no one had ever heard of before. He was wrestling Moose, one of the coolest guys he'd ever met. He'd never wrestled him before, so when they offered him the gig, Chris had decided to take it.

Moose went out first. The fans began chanting along with his music… "Moose! Moose! Moose! Moose!" Chris loved Moose's entrance.

When _Big Balls_ began to play, Chris took a deep breath. He hadn't been seen in public since his mental health records had been leaked. He hadn't released any statements. He wasn't entirely sure he could pull this off… But there was no turning back now.

Chris walked out and began singing along with his music. He pointed at various fans at the right moments and got into the song as always. Then, he paused. He looked toward the sky and cupped his hand to his ear.

"What's that, Dad?" He asked. A giant photo of his father was projected onto the screen.

The fans were paying attention now. " _He's_ got the biggest balls of them all?" Chris asked. He pointed to the ring announcer, a very small guy who looked like a strong wind could knock him over. That made the choice especially hilarious. The fans laughed and cheered.

The bell rang. Chris closed his eyes and began to wrestle. He had worked very closely with Moose to plan out the match. It had to go perfectly if he was going to pull this off. Luckily, Moose was behind him one hundred percent.

When the match took a turn and Chris almost got pinned, he kicked out at two and tossed Moose clear across the ring. That was no easy task. Chris looked up at the sky. "What's that, Dad? The chair? Thank you, Dad!" Chris said. He dove beneath the ring and came out with a chair wrapped in barbed wire. In the best tribute to his father he'd ever pulled off, he began attacking Moose with the chair.

After Moose hit the mat and barely got back up, Chris began hitting him with the Mahoney Combo. As the crowd chanted "Balls!" with every hit, so did Chris. Finally, with the final hit, Moose fell over. Chris pinned him, but he still kicked out.

"Oh, right! The _chair!_ Thanks, Dad!" Chris said. He grabbed it again and swung it at Moose's head. This time, Moose didn't kick out of the pin. The fans began cheering wildly.

As _Big Balls_ resumed playing, the fans surprised Chris as they began to chant, "Thank you, Balls! Thank you, Balls!" Chris realized that, against all odds, he'd gotten this new "gimmick" over. The fans were behind him completely.

As he got backstage, the other wrestlers congratulated him. Some patted him on the back. Others complimented him on his absolutely fantastic tribute gimmick.

"I knew there was no way they found your actual medical documents," one of them said. "Way to keep the kayfabe up! You're doing fantastic work. Your dad would be proud!"

Chris smiled and thanked him. He sat back and enjoyed the rest of the show. When the night was over, he went online. To his shock, someone had released a video of his entrance. Once again, Chris was all over social media… But this time, he was being praised for the best tribute gimmick in years.

 _With one performance, Jon Mahoney has convinced us all that the afterlife is real and he genuinely hears his father's ghost! I can think of no tribute more fitting._

 _The Nut from Nutley just punked us all!_

 _It looks like Jon Mahoney has the biggest balls of them all!_

No one was mocking him. There were no unkind words to be found. Thanks to whoever had tweeted the video, everyone was in love with Chris' new gimmick. He'd never been this over in his life.

 _Am I allowed to say I told you so this time?_ His father asked.

 _Yeah,_ Chris said. _This one time, it's okay. You were right… They like it… They think it's awesome._

 _They finally see what I always have, Chris. You're amazing. I'm proud of you, Buddy._

Chris smiled sadly. _I love you, Dad,_ he thought.

 _I love you, too,_ his father replied.

Chris knew now that he was going to be just fine. Whoever had revealed his secret had been looking to destroy him, but they'd actually done him a favor. There was something incredibly freeing about finally embracing the one thing he'd always had to hide. For the first time in a long time, Chris actually felt sort of normal.

 _ **PHIL**_

He had driven out to Philly with Briana. He needed a few things from the house, but he couldn't go back in there by himself. She stood with him now as he froze at the front door.

"I could go in there for you," Briana offered.

"No… No, I have to do this," Phil said. "I'm ready."

She nodded and let him open the door. He forced himself not to stare at the couch. He half expected to see his father there scowling at him, but he knew that wasn't actually possible. He walked straight upstairs to his bedroom.

"Sorry about the mess," he said to Briana. "I'm kind of a slob."

She laughed. "No kidding. I live with you, remember?"

Phil began looking through his belongings. He found a few things he knew he should keep, like his birth certificate and other paperwork. His mom had kept that stuff safe, so before he'd come out there, he'd asked Luke to retrieve it and leave it in his room. He couldn't go into his parents' bedroom. He'd never go in there again.

Briana spotted his sketchpads sticking out from beneath his bed. "Can I see them?" She asked.

Phil hesitated. He could hardly remember what was in them anymore. "Okay," he said. "But don't judge me."

"Phil… I'll never judge you. Not about the big stuff anyway."

He nodded. As Briana looked through his old art, he watched her. She stared at each piece and looked over every detail. Her face showed a lot of emotions Phil couldn't read, but nothing made her take off running. He took that as a good sign.

Suddenly, Briana paused. "Phil…" She whispered.

He looked at what she was looking at. It was a sketch of him and his father, one he'd never intended for anyone to see, let alone Briana. His father stood over his bed, staring at him with a horrifying look on his face. A very small Phil hid under the blanket, visibly trying to escape, but his eyes were still visible as he clutched the blanket like his life depended on it.

Phil snatched the book away from Briana. "Enough," he said. "Forget about that one. It's crap."

"It's not crap. It's really good… It's just… Intense," Briana said. He knew she wanted to ask him about it.

"I can't talk about that one, Briana. Okay? Not now. Probably not ever."

"Okay," she agreed. She didn't bring it up again.

Phil tried to push the memories out of his mind, but it was impossible. He had to get out of that house. He spotted the last thing he needed, a photo of him and Felicia with their mother that he kept hidden in his bedside table along with a large supply of Narcan. In that household, it had been essential to keep that handy just in case someone overdosed. It certainly happened often enough. He tucked the photo into his jacket pocket.

"Let's go," he said. He took the sketch books with him. He couldn't leave them there where anyone might come across them… And he sort of wanted to keep them. They told a story he wanted to forget, but at the same time, they'd been his only escape. He couldn't just throw them away.

As he left the house, he knew he'd never walk into it again. This was a death house now, not his home, and he had seen enough. Although it looked like Luke and Carrie had done a hell of a job cleaning the place up, their efforts would be enjoyed by whoever bought the place, not him. If he was ever going to move on, he could never come back.

"Are you okay?" Briana asked.

"I will be as soon as we drive away," Phil promised her. He didn't say anything else as they got into the car, but as he drove away and the house vanished from his sight, he did feel better. He hadn't realized that house was holding him prisoner, but now, Phil was finally free. It was a strange feeling, but he clung to it. Maybe he could finally figure out who he was now that he was out of there…

 _ **ABBY**_

She came home to find two packages on her front steps. "Hmmm… What the hell is all of this?" She wondered aloud. She carried them into the house and opened them up. The first was a giant teddy bear. It was kind of adorable and Abby wondered who had sent it to her. She opened the other package and discovered chocolates.

 _Happy birthday, Beautiful,_ the card attached read. _Thanks for being the sexiest girlfriend on the planet. Love Turner._

She smiled. She hadn't told Turner when her birthday was, which meant he'd taken the time to find out. That impressed her. She also appreciated the gesture of sending her something she could cuddle and chocolate… You could _never_ go wrong with chocolate.

Abby picked up her phone and called Turner. "That was nice to come home to," she said.

"I'm glad you like it," Turner replied. "Happy birthday, Abby."

"Come on over. I'd hate to spend my birthday alone."

"I was hoping you'd say that. I'm on my way."

She smiled. Five minutes later, Turner arrived, just as she set the chocolate down on her desk and put the teddy bear on the computer chair. She let him in and poured them both some whiskey before they settled in. She brought him up to her room. The next thing either of them knew, their clothes were tossed aside and they were wrapped up in each other. As usual, the sex was incredible, and Abby was amazed that Turner still had so many tricks up his sleeve. She suspected she'd never be bored with him. Abby could think of no better way to spend her birthday than making love to that man. Finally, quite a while later, she passed out in his arms.

 _ **VINNY**_

He was alone at his job when someone walked in. Vinny was surprised to see Felicia. "Hey," he said. "How are you, hun?"

"I'm… _Trying_ ," Felicia said.

"That's all you can do. So, what brings you into my neck of the woods?"

"I saw the doctor… My head's fine. I'm symptom-free… And I think I need to start training again, Vinny. I can't keep sitting around doing nothing."

"That's great, Felicia! But I figured you'd go back to Hyde or train with Tommy and Bubba."

"I don't want anyone to know I'm doing this yet… Not until I'm sure I can handle it… But I trust you to keep a secret. Will you help me start training?"

"Of course I'll help. What do you want to work on?"

"Anything."

Vinny started her off slow. He helped her stretch and do some conditioning exercises. She'd been out of the ring for a couple of months now, so there was bound to be ring rust. He didn't want to push her to do too much too soon.

After a while, Felicia was moving quicker and smoother, so he increased the difficulty of the exercises. When she proved herself ready to do even more, he took her down to the gymnastics room and let her work out on the uneven bars. Felicia was a flyer, and that was one of the ways she'd learned to control her body's movement early on.

"You're doing great, Felicia," he said encouragingly. Felicia kept it up for a while before finally dismounting. He was impressed with her form. "You could have been a gymnast, you know. You're really good at that."

"I'm terrible at the vault, though. I always hesitate," Felicia said.

"You just need some confidence."

"I think I was too busy reading a book the day God gave out confidence," she said with a shy laugh.

"Well, we can work on that. Anyway, you should be proud of yourself. I hardly saw any rust on you. You'll be back in the ring in no time."

"Good. I need that… I miss it."

"I get it. I was sidelined with an injury for six months a few years back and I nearly lost my mind."

"Thanks for helping me."

"Any time. Come back every night after we close and I'll have you at the top of your game in a couple of weeks."

"That sounds great."

"Come on. I'll buy us dinner. You must have worked up an appetite."

"I am kind of hungry," Felicia admitted. He was relieved to hear it. Felicia had seemed so broken the week before, Vinny had been afraid she wouldn't bounce back from it. He was happy he could do something to help.

After dinner, he walked her to her car and sent her on her way. Vinny decided he didn't want to go home yet. He dialed a number. "Where are you?" he asked.

"Home," Markie said. "What's up?"

"Will you be up for a few hours?"

"Yeah. You know I'm a night owl."

"Good. I'm coming by, and I'm bringing the worst movie I can find."

"Awesome." Markie seemed to perk up a bit. "I'll see you soon then."

Being with Markie seemed to lift both of their spirits, so Vinny was happy she'd agreed. Seeing Felicia training again had left him feeling inspired and even hopeful for the first time in ages. It seemed like a sign that things might actually be returning to normal, and that was something Vinny desperately longed for. It had been too long since things felt okay. Vinny wasn't one to dwell on things that upset him. He was more than ready for things to start looking up again.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

 _ **ABBY**_

She woke up to the sound of her father's ringtone. Turner stirred beside her. He smiled at her and said, "Hey, Beautiful."

She kissed him before grabbing her phone. "Hey, Dad. What's up?" She asked.

"Abigail, _tell me_ this is fake," her father said urgently.

"Um... I'm a little lost here, Dad. Tell you _what's_ fake?" It wasn't a good sign that her father was calling her Abigail. He pretty much _never_ did that.

"Oh God. You don't even know, do you?"

"Dad, back up. What the hell is going on?"

"Abby... There's a video floating around on the Internet. I didn't watch it, of course, but there are some terrible people out there who were cruel enough to send me screenshots..."

"Of what?" She was completely confused.

"Of _you,_ Abby. With Turner."

His tone said what his words did not. Suddenly, Abby was filled with rage. "Dad, I would _never_ do something that stupid!" She said. "I swear I had no idea... But I'm going to get to the bottom of it right now. I love you, but I'm going to have to call you back." Abby hung up her phone. She immediately jumped on Twitter. Sure enough, there were video links and very intimate screenshots of the previous night all over the site.

"You son of a bitch!" Abby screamed at Turner. "How _dare_ you?" She threw his clothes at him.

"What? Abby, slow down. What happened?" Turner asked. He started to get dressed automatically.

"You filmed it!"

"Filmed _what?"_

"Us. Last night. And now it's all over the Internet! And people are sending screenshots to my _father!_ Do you understand what that's _doing_ to him?"

Turner's eyes went wide. "Abby, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Then how the hell did it end up online, Turner? Because _I_ sure as hell didn't film it and no one else was here!"

Turner stared at her. "Abby, I know I'm a scumbag, okay? I admit I have _alternative morals..._ And yeah, I've done a lot of illegal shit, but I would _never_ do that! Especially not to you!"

She showed him the video as proof. Turner studied it. "Admiring your work?" Abby asked harshly.

"Trying to figure this out... The bed's right here... The camera had to be over that way..." He motioned toward the desk.

"With the chocolates and that stupid teddy bear you sent me? Take it all back and get the hell out of my house, you fucking asshole!"

Turner froze. "Abby... I didn't send you a teddy bear."

She hesitated. "What?" She asked.

"I sent you chocolates. That's _all_ I sent you." He walked over to the bear and pulled out his pocket knife.

"What are you doing?" Abby asked. She wasn't yelling anymore, but she was shaking and unsure of what to think.

"Getting to the bottom of this," he said. He proceeded to stab the bear in the face and cut out its eye. That's when Abby realized what had really happened.

"Turner... Oh my God..." She whispered.

"Call the cops, Abby. Someone's been watching us," he said.

"Turner... I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have assumed-"

"Stop. You don't need to apologize. I'd have thought the same thing in your place." He kissed her. "Go. Call the cops and we'll see if they can find the bastard who did this to you."

"To _us,"_ Abby corrected him. "You got violated here, too."

"Yeah, but they can't send screenshots to _my_ dad. You're in a worse situation here. Besides, people judge girls a lot harsher with this sort of thing than they judge guys."

"There's nothing to judge! It's not like we willingly made a sex tape... Fuck this. I'm not letting this destroy our lives."

"What are you going to do?"

"After I call the cops? I'm calling Aiden, and we're doing a shoot, and I'm sending it to every media outlet I can think of. We're going to put this fire out,"

"How? It's already all over the Internet."

"It's blowing up because it's a scandal... But we were the victims of a crime and we didn't do anything wrong. Once people know that, they'll feel like assholes for spreading this around. It'll die down. Sure, a few random scumbags will cling to it, but there won't be any fuel to feed the fire."

"You're good at damage control."

"I'm best friends with Carrie Heyman. I had to learn to cover up scandals and put a different spin on them pretty early in life." She walked away to call the police. Turner followed her, probably just in case the bear was still recording. Abby knew she could get this under control, but only if she acted quickly.

 _ **FELICIA**_

She was sitting in her room in Tommy and Trisa's house thinking entirely too much. Her head hurt, and so did her heart. Felicia sighed and tried to pick up a book to distract herself. It didn't work. Her eyes roamed to the dresser. In the top drawer, beneath her neatly folded underwear and perfectly rolled socks, sat a box cutter blade carefully hidden in a hard plastic case that helped keep it clean.

She opened the drawer and pulled out the case. She struggled with herself for a few minutes, but she finally opened it and pulled out the blade. She carefully made three cuts, each perfectly parallel to each other, and stared at them, feeling nothing.

 _You can't keep doing this,_ she told herself. _It's got to stop._ She walked down the hall toward the bathroom and ran straight into Tommy. She jumped in surprise as she bumped into him.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Tommy asked.

Felicia was ready to lie, but suddenly, she knew she couldn't. She'd literally had a mental breakdown at her mother's funeral in front of everyone. Enough was enough, and she knew she needed to stop.

"No," Felicia admitted. "Tommy, I… I need…" She shook her head and carefully rolled up her sleeves, revealing her newest injuries.

Tommy's eyes went wide. He immediately stepped into the bathroom and pulled out some supplies to disinfect the wound and clean her up. "Felicia..." He said. " _Why_?"

"I _had_ to," Felicia said softly. "I needed to get it out…"

After he wrapped her wounds with gauze, Tommy rolled her sleeve up further. Upon seeing the alarmingly high number of new and faded scars all over her arm, he looked at her other arm, too. She let him. She couldn't keep hiding this.

"Okay. First of all, tell me the truth. Are you suicidal right now?" Tommy asked.

"No," Felicia said honestly. "I could never leave Phil. He needs me."

He nodded. "The twin bond is strong. I believe you… But you can't keep hurting yourself, Felicia. You need to talk to someone."

"I've never been very good at opening up… My whole life's been about keeping secrets, Tommy."

"I know… But that's not the case anymore."

"People have tried to convince me to see a therapist, but… I never did. I just don't know how to let myself do it."

"I'm not going to try to convince you, Felicia. You're _going_ to see someone. Normally, I'd never try to take away your choice, but you need help. I took you in because I wanted to help you, and I'll be damned if I'm going to leave you in this state." He hesitated. "I'm sorry if that was too harsh… And I can't actually force you to get help, but… But after everything…"

She saw the pain in his eyes. Tommy had tried so hard to help her mother. She knew that. She also knew that her mother had refused to accept his help due to the warped loyalty her father had demanded from his family. "No," Felicia said. "I… I'll do it. Just like Phil doesn't want to turn into our father… I don't want to turn into our mom. I don't know where to start, Tommy… But I'll let you help me."

He hugged her. "You're going to be okay, Felicia. I promise. I can talk to Paul. Carrie seems to be doing really well with the new therapist she's seeing. Maybe she can help you, too."

"Okay," Felicia said. She rolled her sleeves back down. "Are you mad?"

"No, sweetheart. Why would I be? I'm just worried about you."

She nodded. "Thank you, Tommy… For everything."

"We're family, Felicia. You don't need to thank me." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "I'm going to call Paul. We'll set this up as soon as possible. Are you okay to be alone for a few? Do you need me to get Trisa?"

"I'm okay now," Felicia promised. "But… But here." She ducked into her room and pulled out the blade. "If you keep it, you know I'm not hurting myself with it."

"That's a good step, Felicia. I'm proud of you." Tommy took the blade and hugged her again. "I'm right down the hall if you need me. I'll let you know what happens after I talk to Paul."

Felicia nodded and let him walk away. She was terrified, but she knew there was no turning back now. She was going to see a therapist, and either it would help, or it wouldn't. At least she'd finally know one way or the other.

 _ **LUKE**_

He hadn't expected to see a naked Turner as soon as he opened up Twitter. He'd expected to see a naked Abby even less. That was more of his friends than he'd ever imagined he'd be exposed to. He looked away quickly out of respect, but he couldn't unsee it.

"Shit," he mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Chris asked.

"Remember how you told me your dad said more stuff was coming?"

"What is it?"

"Not PG, _that's_ for sure..."

"Luke, just tell me."

"Someone leaked a sex tape of Turner and Abby... And I highly doubt either of them knew it was being made."

"What? Holy shit!"

"Man, this guy's good. How'd he get a camera into her room?" Luke wondered alone. "We need to shove a kendo stick where the sun don't shine and see how _he_ likes being violated!"

"Do you think they know yet?"

"Abby lives on social media. I'm sure she knows by now."

"This is too much... There has to be something we can do."

"Sellie says he hasn't left any proof so far. There was no paper trail with the guy who went after Carrie..." He paused, trying not to think about the man he'd possibly killed. "No pay-offs to any bank account, no suspicious cash deposits... They must have kept it all under the table. No one knows who sent the photos of Artie to the dirt sheets. Your hospital records were hacked into but they don't know who did it. Whoever he is, he's tech savvy. And now, he managed to record Abby and Turner without either one of them knowing it. Unless they can trace it and figure out where the video was sent, they won't catch him off of that either."

"He'll screw up. People like that always do... And then, we'll nail him."

"If it's really Triple H, he'll get out of it somehow."

"He arranged to have a girl raped. Even if nothing else sticks, that's conspiracy to commit a crime."

"I hope you're right, but he gets out of _everything._ He's a McMahon by marriage."

"We have Sellie on our side."

Luke became slightly more optimistic. "You're right. Sellie doesn't know how to lose. We just need to find proof and he's done for."

"Do you think this tape will hurt ECW?" Chris asked.

"It's ECW. There have been leaked sex tapes before. No one cared. Hell, Tammy's done straight-up porn and it didn't keep her from getting bookings. If anything, it increased her meet and greet sales."

"For the wrong reasons... I don't want that to happen to Abby."

"It's _Abby,_ Chris. She's got this. The fans will be eating out of her hands as soon as she comes up with something to say." Luke was positive he was right about that. If _anyone_ could turn this around, it was Abby. He just wished he knew what perverted creep had gotten to her. Triple H was almost definitely the one behind all of this, but there was no way he'd have gotten close enough to Abby to plant that camera, so whose strings was he pulling?

 _ **CRAIG**_

He woke up feeling miserable. That was normal for him lately, and he hated it. Craig had always been pretty upbeat. Sure, he was a little awkward at times, and he was in love with a girl he'd never be able to have, but he managed to stay happy in spite of this. Now, however, he spent most of his time wishing he could just go to sleep and not wake up.

Everything had fallen apart. It was one thing after the other, and it had all started with him being a complete and total moron. Markie was tolerating him in public, but she still wanted nothing to do with him. Almost everyone else was so caught up in the excessive drama, they seemed to have forgotten all about him. He was there, but he wasn't really _there._

He needed an escape so badly. He thought about going to church. His father had taught him that God fixed everything… But God hadn't made this mess; _Craig_ had. And even if God forgave him, Markie probably never would. With a sigh, Craig walked to the nearest church anyway. Maybe going to confession and just _talking_ to someone would help him…

 _Talking to a priest about the fact that you decided to sleep with a girl you're not even really into just to hurt the girl you claim to love? Yeah, that'll go over well,_ he thought. He shook his head and didn't step inside. Instead, he kept walking, feeling more alone than ever.

He ended up by the water. He looked out at it. The view was beautiful, but it didn't comfort him. Nothing did anymore. He'd never been this unhappy in his life.

He didn't know what else to do, so he picked up his phone. Who could he call? Would anyone actually talk to him? He settled on dialing Artie, then thought better of it. Artie was dealing with more than enough stress right now. He couldn't lay all of this on him. Almost anyone else would probably just judge him. Carrie wouldn't, but considering everything that had happened, he wasn't going to try to talk to her about this. She had too much on her plate, too. She certainly didn't need his angst on top of everything else.

He sat down on top of the hill overlooking the water and sighed. After a few minutes spent further lost in thought, he realized his cheeks were wet. He wiped away the tears with the back of his hand, but more fell. He'd never hurt on this level before, but he'd certainly seen others hit that point. Markie had been there when they first met, and she still ended up there exactly twice a year. Artie had spent years in this place, and Craig had nearly lost him because of it.

 _Maybe he was on to something,_ Craig thought. _Life can't hurt if you're not alive to experience it._

He shook his head. Artie's suicide attempt had been the scariest thing Craig had ever faced. It haunted him that if he hadn't randomly decided to call him, he'd have lost his best friend that day. Craig knew he couldn't do that to someone else. Sure, everyone pretty much hated him, but he couldn't do that to his father. He knew suicide wasn't the right choice, even if it seemed exceptionally appealing right now.

"Suck it up, Craig," he told himself. "You made this mess… Now fix it. You can't just run away." He took a deep breath and stood. Somehow, he walked away and headed back to his hotel room. He wasn't sure why he hadn't just gone back home to Florida with his father after Melissa's funeral, but the truth was, if he was still here, he needed to stop crying and start fixing things.

 _ **KIM**_

She was wrapped in Jack's arms when her phone rang. She almost ignored it because she knew it would piss him off if she picked it up, but she couldn't bring herself to.

"Sorry," she said with an embarrassed smile before she picked it up. "Hey, Evan. What's up?" She asked.

"We've got trouble, Kim," Evan said.

She tensed. "What's going on?" She asked.

"It's Abby and Turner. Someone uploaded… Well, a _sex tape_ of them," he said awkwardly.

"Oh my God! Are you serious? Abby would _never_ make a sex tape!"

"She didn't. They found a camera in a teddy bear someone left on her doorstep as a 'gift' last night."

Kim's jaw dropped. "Someone actually sent a _nanny cam_ to her?"

"Yeah. Carrie called her as soon as she saw the tweets… Abby's pretty upset, but she's handling it. She called the cops and she's going to run damage control as soon as she can."

"Of course she's upset! This is insane!"

"The thing that really got to her is her dad's the one who told her… People tweeted pictures to him."

Kim was horrified. "People are sick! How could they think that was okay?"

"I don't even know. Anyway, I called Sellie for them. She's going to work with the police and see if they can put all of the pieces together and maybe find the scumbag who keeps coming after us. Just… Be careful, Kim. Until this all blows over and we catch the guy, don't let your guard drop. Okay?"

"I'm pretty scandal-free, but I'll definitely watch my back. Thanks, Evan."

"No problem."

When Kim hung up, Jack looked at her curiously. "Okay, did I hear that right?" He asked. "What's going on?"

"Some sick pervert filmed Abby and Turner doing… Well, you can guess… And now it's all over the Internet," Kim explained.

"Oh wow… Are they alright? They must be so freaked out."

"I don't know about Turner, but Abby is. She'll figure out a way to spin this, though. That's what Abby does."

"How could anyone _possibly_ put a positive spin on this?"

"You don't know her like I do, Jack. She'll pull it off."

Jack looked skeptical. "I just can't believe someone would do that to them… It's awful."

"It is. Look, I need to call Briana. She should hear this from me before she just comes across it. Evan just called to warn me to be careful in case anyone tries anything like that on me." Suddenly, Kim was especially relieved she'd refused to have sex with Jack. She'd have died if someone put out a tape of her doing those things. She didn't even know what she'd do if someone sent nude photos of her to her father. She couldn't imagine how Abby must be feeling.

"Kim? Are you okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah… Just… It's scary, Jack. Someone's coming after us… _All_ of us. And it's not just little things… Artie being kicked out of the closet resulted in him being kicked out of his house. Chris, who wouldn't hurt a fly, had his mental health broadcast to the entire world."

"Yeah, well, at least he seems to have embraced that," Jack said. "I mean, I was really surprised he pulled that off. He's a strong guy to survive all of that and then be able to handle having it put out there. How did he managed to turn that around?"

"Chris is stronger than people think… And we're ECW, Jack. When someone tries to break us, we just go crazy and get stronger and fight back."

"I'm starting to realize that. You guys are amazing. I don't know how you do it!" He seemed genuinely impressed.

"We're still scared, though… Well, _I_ am, at least." She didn't mention what had happened to Carrie, but she couldn't get it out of her mind. What if someone sent someone after her? She didn't think she could survive that. She was stunned that Carrie had. "They actually sent her a nanny cam… Who _does_ that?"

"Someone desperate." He paused, watching her as she shuddered. "You'll be okay, Kim. I promise. I'll protect you."

"How? We don't know who this guy is… We don't know what he'll do next… He could be anyone. He could be anywhere."

"Honey, just breathe, okay? I'd never let anyone hurt you." He kissed her. "I love you, Kim." He seemed almost sad.

"I love you, too," she told him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just hate seeing you so upset. I mean, I knew that your friends meant a lot to you, but I see how much this is hurting you… You have such a big heart. You're not like anyone I've ever met. You feel everything so deeply… It hurts me to see you hurting."

"You're sweet. I'll be okay, Jack. I'm just kind of freaked out right now."

"Understandably… But they'll pull through this, Kim. They're ECW, right?" He grinned at her.

"Right," she said, returning his grin. "And E-C-Dub can't be stopped!" She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. This would be okay. They'd get through it. They just needed to stick together.

 _ **ABBY**_

They'd spent a while with the police. Now, Abby was ready to do the shoot with Turner by her side. The police were still in the house trying to trace the video, but they were having a lot of difficulty. Whoever had set it up to broadcast to them was some sort of hacker, and they'd covered their tracks well.

Aiden gave her the cue to let her know the camera was recording. "Hi," she said. "My name is Abby Styles, and as usual, I've got something to say. This morning, a video was uploaded to the Internet by a currently unknown person or persons that I'm sure you've all seen by now. Before you start calling me a slut or talking about how stupid I was to film it in the first place, I'm here to set the record straight. That video was made without my knowledge or consent. This isn't some case of someone making a sex tape and then acting so shocked when it leaked… This is so much more than that."

She paused, then continued. "Turner Knighton is my boyfriend. We are both consenting adults and we're in a committed relationship. Yes, we had sex. That's what people do when they're in love. There is absolutely _nothing_ wrong with that. Are you all going to tell me that you don't have sex with your significant others?"

"Neither one of us had any awareness that this was being filmed," Turner said. "Abby and I were just the next in line among the new ECW roster to get hit with trouble recently. We're not going to go into detail because this is an ongoing police investigation, but someone is coming after us. They're trying to destroy us on a personal level before we can get our promotion up and running. Abby and I have decided not to let this destroy us, however. I'll let Abby explain exactly where we stand."

"First of all, you're probably thinking, 'Well, how could they be filmed without their knowledge?' I'm going to explain that now," Abby began. "Yesterday was my birthday. I received two gifts. One was from Turner. The other had no card and I assumed it was also from him." Aiden cut to a shot of the teddy bear. "That teddy bear looks harmless enough, but the reason it's eye has been cut out is because someone installed a nanny cam in it. That camera filmed everything that happened in my bedroom. So, basically, under the guise of a birthday present, someone sent a camera to film my every move. Happy birthday to me! Not only is that illegal, it's creepy as all hell. You can see the wires for yourself, and you can see the police all over my house right now trying to figure this out, so obviously, we're telling you the truth about this. Besides, if I'm known for anything, it's my over-the-top theatrics. Don't you think if I knew I was being filmed, I'd have put on a better show?"

Again, Abby paused. Aiden brought the camera back to her and she continued. "Okay, so I know all of you are sitting at home making fun of this latest scandal or jerking off to it or whatever it is that you're doing… But I just want you to think about something. The next time you decide to try to mock us or to get off, imagine that this video is of you and your significant other, and someone violated you by filming it without your permission. Imagine they posted it online and the entire world has now seen you having sex with the person you love. Now, imagine that you're a parent, and you're sitting at home and all of a sudden, someone sends you pornographic photos of your daughter… Or your sister… Or your mother… How would you feel? So, to the assholes tweeting these images to my father, just know that your cruelty has been noted and I hope you never have to feel what you've made _him_ feel. I also hope you never understand what it is to be violated and have that violation shared with millions of people around the world in a matter of minutes. When you're judging us or when you're getting off, just remember, Turner and I are the victims of a _crime_ and we did nothing wrong here, but _you're_ enjoying the evidence. So if you still feel like doing that, go for it. I guarantee it's the only time you'll ever see me naked. But if you're actually decent human beings who realize this could just as easily have happened to you or someone you know, I implore you to remove the video from your feed. Stand with us. Demand justice for what is happening so this doesn't happen to anyone else. And please, for the love of God, stop tweeting screenshots to my father. No parent should have to see their child in that way. Thank you."

Aiden turned the camera off. He looked at her. "It's perfect," he said. He sat down on his laptop and immediately started to upload the video. He attached it to a tweet and put in simply "Abby Styles Official Shoot." He added several hashtags including, _FreeECW, Justice4Knyles, IStandWithKnyles, AbbyStylesSexTape, and AbbyStylesMrKnight._

"That should cover everything they might be searching for to find or discuss the video," Aiden said.

"Knyles?" Turner asked.

"Knighton and Styles… Couple names are huge. It'll catch on like wild fire."

Sure enough, within ten minutes, it had been retweeted an insane number of times and Abby and Turner were trending on Twitter, but no longer under the sex tape tags. Now, millions of people tweeted out their support. Most were genuinely horrified by what had been done to them. In under an hour, several people actually tweeted Abby and Turner apologizing and removed the things they'd previously posted. Abby noticed several of the tweets that had been sent to her father had also been deleted.

"I told you we'd be fine," Abby said to Turner. "I'm really sorry about earlier…"

"It's okay. I told you, you had the rational response. Anyone would have thought I did it," Turner said. "I'm just glad this is working."

"When I speak, people shut up and listen. It's a Styles thing." She rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted, then looked at Aiden. "Thank you so much," she said. "You're a life saver, and possibly a _career_ saver."

"No problem, Abby. What happened to you disgusts me, but at least I was able to help," Aiden said. He gave her a hug, then hugged Turner as well before leaving.

"We're going to keep working on this," one of the officers told them. "I promise you, we'll keep at it until we find out who did this. Until then, please don't accept any strange gifts or bring anything into your house without checking it thoroughly."

"Believe me, I learned my lesson," Abby said.

He nodded and the police left, taking the teddy bear with them. With a sigh, Abby looked at Turner. "Well, I'd say we've earned some food, especially since we skipped breakfast. Lunch?" She asked.

"Absolutely," Turner said. Abby threw herself into cooking and tried not to dwell on the fact that her father had seen her in the worst way possible. She didn't care so much that the rest of the world had. It happened. It couldn't be undone, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Sure, it was awful, but the fans were fickle. They'd forget all about it as soon as the next big scandal happened. Her father, however, would have to live with what he'd seen forever. For the first time in her life, Abby worried her father might be disappointed in her.

"I'll be back," she said as the food cooked. She grabbed her phone and called her father. "Dad… I'm really sorry about all of this, but I think I've got it under control now… I fixed it. Are you…? Are you mad at me?"

"What? No, honey, of _course_ I'm not mad!" Her father said. "You had no idea this was being done to you. It's not your fault in the slightest, and as much as I'm upset that I had to see all of that, you're an adult. If you want to have sex with your boyfriend, that's your right… I just… I'd prefer not to know about it in the future." He laughed awkwardly.

Abby was relieved. He wasn't angry or disappointed in her. Everything was going to be alright as long as she still had her father on her side. "I ran damage control…"

"I saw. I'm incredibly proud of you, Abby. You did a great job in the face of the hardest thing you've ever had to deal with."

"I'm a Styles. Talking is what we _do._ "

"Listen… Bring Turner by for dinner later. I think I should get to know him better. I noticed you two were spending a lot of time together, but you didn't actually tell me you were dating."

"With everything else that's been happening, it didn't seem like the right time."

"Well, it's time now. Come by around seven. I'll make your favorite."

Abby smiled. "Thanks, Dad… I love you."

"I love you, too."

They hung up and Abby resumed cooking feeling much calmer. "We have a dinner invite if you're up for it," she told Turner. "My dad wants to get to know you better."

"Should I be concerned?" Turner asked.

"Possibly," she said with a laugh. "Just be honest with him and you'll be fine… And don't worry. Nothing shocks my dad. You can literally say anything to him."

"Okay," Turner agreed.

Abby smiled. She knew things would be okay now. She just had to keep moving forward. Her father was behind them. The fans were behind them. They'd get through this and everyone would move on very soon.


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

 _ **LUKE**_

He was almost afraid to open Twitter the next day, but he couldn't resist. Luke was a horrible gossip. He had to know what was going on in the world or he'd get twitchy.

He didn't see any more naked friends. He _did_ see a ton of tweets supporting the previously mentioned naked friends, demanding justice for them and calling for the scumbag who'd dared to violated their beloved Abby Styles to turn himself over to the police. Somehow, Abby had turned this all around in a matter of minutes.

Luke continued scrolling, relaxing as he did. He was just about to shut Twitter down when a new tweet appeared at the top of his feed. It was a link to a dirt sheet article, and the headline made his heart stop.

 _CARRIE HEYMAN CLAIMS TO BE VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT._

Luke clicked on the article and read it quickly.

 _Independent wrestler Carrie Heyman recently spent a night in the hospital after claiming to be the victim of a sexual assault. Heyman, known best for being the outrageous daughter of Paul Heyman, has a history of portraying an explicitly sexual character in the ring. Although she has not discussed this publicly, our sources have provided both the hospital record and the police report from that night. Alarmingly, the wrestler known as Little Sandy and Abby Styles were both arrested that night in connection to the death of the man Heyman claims assaulted her, but the charges were dropped after it was deemed that the violence was a case of self defense. Was Carrie Heyman truly the victim of a horrible act, or is this all one giant cover-up?_

Luke felt a panic attack hitting him. He forced it back so he could get in his car and drive. Luke knew he shouldn't be driving while this upset, but he had to warn Carrie. He couldn't risk her just stumbling across this.

He wasn't sure how he did it, but he made it to the Heyman house and rang the bell. Evan answered the door. "Luke?" He asked in confusion. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"Where's Carrie?" Luke asked.

"Right here," Carrie said from behind her brother. "Luke, what's wrong?"

Luke struggled to catch his breath as Evan led him into the living room. He stood beside him as Luke sat on the couch next to Carrie. "Carrie, something happened," Luke said. "It's bad."

"How bad?" Carrie asked nervously.

"The bastard who's targeting us went after you again."

"What do you mean?"

"It leaked, Carrie. Everything... What happened to you, the fact that me and Abby got arrested, the fact that the monster who hurt you died... It's all out there."

Carrie turned pale. She was shaking. Evan cursed. "Carrie... Are you okay?" He asked.

"No," Carrie said softly. "Everyone knows, Ev! Now all they're going to see when they look at me is some victim... And I'm so sick of being a victim. Wrestling was my only escape... And now, I can't go back."

"You're a survivor, Carrie," Luke said, taking her hand. "The only way you'll be a victim is if you keep letting what happened to you destroy your life. Fight back. Own it."

"How? How can I?" Carrie asked with tears in her eyes.

"You're the strongest person I know, Carrie. Tell the world what happened to you. Stop being ashamed of it and take your life back."

Evan nodded. "It's the only way, Care. Chris did it. Abby did it. We all sort of did it for Artie... And the scandals died or actually just made all of them come out stronger. And if you stop hiding and tell everyone what happened, it might actually help you... But you don't have to. I'll work to get it under control if you need me to. I'll find another way. None of us will make you do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I need to call Amber," Carrie said. "I trust her. She won't screw me like Becky did, but maybe she can help me figure out what to do," Carrie said.

Luke paused. "Before you read the articles... They're not being kind, Carrie," he said. "They accused you of covering for me and Abby."

Carrie shrugged. "I didn't think they'd accept it at face value. I'm Carrie Heyman, the sex symbol who's kind of a slut. Sluts don't get raped." She shook her head. "Except, sometimes, we _do_. And it's _not_ okay." She walked away and Luke prayed she'd be alright.

 _ **PHIL**_

He had no idea what he was doing, but he was hardcore. He could take whatever nature threw his way. At least Briana seemed to be in her element, and she was having fun. That's what mattered.

They were pretty high up when Phil made the mistake of looking down. His hand slipped and he panicked, positive he was going to fall to his doom. Briana's hand caught his arm and she pulled him to her. "I've got you, Phil," she promised. "I won't let you fall."

He looked into her eyes and realized how incredibly beautiful she was. She was strong, fearless, and had just saved his life. As he caught his breath, he kissed her, which was kind of terrifying to do so many feet off the ground.

"I love you," he whispered. He knew she couldn't hear him, but he needed to say it, just for himself.

Briana helped him find his footing and they continued climbing higher until they reached the top. She helped pull him up onto the ledge and Phil looked at what surrounded them. Suddenly, he understood why Briana liked this sort of thing so much. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He felt... _free._

As Phil looked at Briana set against the most beautiful scene ever, he knew he'd go home and sketch this moment, with the wind blowing her hair and that laugh that touched her eyes and mouth when she was happiest.

"Bri..." He said nervously. Somehow, up in this place, he suddenly had to unload something he'd been thinking about... Something that terrified him.

"Yeah?" Briana asked him.

"I... I don't want to be Tabu anymore."

Briana stared at him. "You're not walking away from wrestling, are you?"

"Nah. I can't do anything else real good anyway... But even if I could, I couldn't walk away. It's in my soul... But I don't want to be Tabu, the next homicidal, genocidal maniac. Everything about my character is a tribute to _him,_ and that isn't who I want to be anymore..."

"Okay, so who _do_ you want to be?"

"Just... _me._ Whoever the hell that is."

"I know who you are," Briana said. "You're Phil from Philly. And that's a gimmick just waiting to happen."

"Phil from Philly... Yeah. Yeah, that's not bad. I kinda like it." He paused. "I have a strong following. Do you really think they'll stay behind me if I stop basically being my dad?"

"I think that, if you do it right and show the world who you _really_ are, they'll love you."

"I contacted JT Dunn... I asked about training with him at Beyond. It was Doc's idea. She knows JT has a history with the drugs and now he's a huge advocate for staying sober. She thinks he can help me, and he told me as long as I'm willing to put in the time, he'll do it. I can't go back to Hyde and I feel like your dad and Bubba can't help me change my character because they know me too well... Do you think I should do it?"

"The Juice is great," Briana said, referencing JT's nickname that came from his Juicy Product days with David Starr. "Not only is he super talented, but he's a really sweet guy. I think he's a good option if you're not up to dealing with Dad and Bubba."

"Do you think Abby will be pissed? She got fired from Beyond."

"Since that was intentional, no. Abby just wants you to be happy. She'll support you."

He nodded. "I feel different up here," Phil said. "Like nothing can touch me."

"Nothing can," Briana said with a smile.

"Bri... That sketch you saw..."

"You don't have to talk about it, Phil. Really, it's okay."

"I do, though. If anyone should know... _You_ should. You deserve to know what you're getting yourself into... How fucked-up I really am."

She looked at him. "Okay," she said. "I'm listening."

"First, promise you won't leave me up here. Promise that, even if you're totally freaked out, you'll at least get me back on the ground."

"I'm not leaving you. _Nothing_ will make that happen."

"Don't be so sure... Reserve your right to run until I'm finished. But, seriously, I don't know how to get down from here without killing myself, so..."

"I'm here, Phil. You have my word I'll stay."

He nodded. "Okay, so... This is impossible... But here goes anyway. When I was six, Leesh got sick. Like, _real_ sick. She was in the hospital for a week, and Mom stayed with her the entire time, and I was left home with Dad. It was cool at first, but then... He started doing stuff to me, and I guess it felt good, so I went along with it, and he brought a hooker by and made me watch him do stuff with her and then he made her do stuff to me and then he did more... And then it hurt and I was scared and he got mad and told me to stop crying-"

"Phil... Oh my God..." Briana said in horror.

He kept talking because now, he couldn't stop. He'd never said any of this aloud before, but he'd written it down once. He'd let the Doc read it because she'd known he was hurting and she told him he had to get whatever it was out, and then he'd refused to bring it up again. He went back to keeping his father's secrets. He couldn't do that anymore, not if he ever wanted to heal... If there was any small chance that it was possible.

"He was high... It only ever happened when he was high. He never touched me sober, so I told myself it wasn't really him doing that to me... When I was eight, I realized other kids didn't do that with their dads, and I told him to stop. I didn't want to do that anymore... First, he got mad. Then, he said he knew how to relax me, and he... And he shot me up with heroin, and I have no idea how he didn't OD me, 'cause I was only eight... I was _eight..._ And he _shot me up._ And the thing is, it didn't hurt so much after. I was high and nothing hurt anymore... And anytime he wanted to do that, he shot me up, and by nine, I was full-on hooked."

"I... I'm so sorry, Phil. I had no idea," Briana said. She looked like she was torn between crying and finding a way to resurrect his dad just so she could kill him herself.

"No one knew. Not even Leesh... I couldn't tell her." He sighed. "I tried to stop him again when I was around fourteen. I attacked him and fought back… That's when he told me if I didn't do what he wanted, he'd make me do it to my sister... And I knew if he said to and I didn't, he'd kill her... Because Leesh never meant anything to him. I couldn't hurt her, Bri... So I kept doing what he wanted. I never fought him again... And it didn't stop until..." He stared at his feet, unable to look her in the eye. "Until Tommy took us away."

"Phil..." Briana pulled him into her arms and hugged him before kissing him.

Phil pulled away. "How can you still want to kiss me? I'm disgusting!"

"No you're not. _He_ was."

"I let him do that to me. Sometimes I even liked it. I must have. I... I responded to it." He hated saying the words out loud, but she had to know… She had to understand what she was getting herself into if she stayed with him.

"You were a little kid, Phil. You didn't understand, and you couldn't stop him. And your body responds naturally. No one can control that."

"That's what Doc said when she read what I wrote her... But I let it go on my whole life. I could have stopped him. I was stronger."

"He was still your father... And you were protecting your sister. I'd have done the same exact thing for Kim."

He paused because he knew that was true. "Even after all of that, he was my hero, Bri… What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. He was your dad. He was _supposed_ to be your hero. He was a monster, but that didn't change the fact that kids love their fathers."

"When I got to the house… When I saw him on the couch and I knew I'd failed him, and I'd failed my mom… I didn't know what to do. I couldn't deal with all of the emotions it brought up, because I… I was _relieved,_ Briana. I knew he'd never hurt me or my sister again… But he was my father, and I loved him. I loved him so much, and I didn't understand what it was about me that made him hurt me… Because when fathers look at their sons, they aren't supposed to want to do those things to them, but he did." He shook his head. "It was only when he was high."

"That doesn't make it okay."

"I know… But I told myself it did." He looked at her and admitted something he was terrified to admit. "I thought it made me gay… Because it felt good sometimes. I thought I was gay, and I knew he'd freak out if I was."

"Trust me, Phil, you're not gay. I've made out with gay guys before. You're straight."

"You've made out with gay guys?" He raised an eyebrow at that.

"Truth or Dare can be brutal," she said with a slight grin.

"Do you think he was? I mean, he never touched Felicia. I know that. He had no interest in her because she was a woman and had no value in his eyes. But he… He wanted to do that stuff with me."

"I think he was a sick bastard, but sure, he could have been gay. It would explain why he hated gay people so much. The people who drop slurs the most are usually closeted homosexuals themselves. Or maybe it was some creepy form of- Never mind."

"No, what?"

"You were like an extension of him in his mind, Phil. Maybe he just viewed you as part of him and thought that made it okay to do that to you. I don't know."

"You could be right. He did everything to try to make me be just like him… He made me an addict before I ever understood what getting high meant," he said. "And that's why it was so hard to stop... Why every day, it's _still_ hard."

Briana hugged him again. "I love you," she said. "And I'm not running away. If anything, this only makes me love you more, because now I see _all_ of you."

He started crying then. It was uncontrollable and he didn't care. He'd finally told the truth. He'd finally put everything on the table... And Briana still loved him.

A while later, he felt better. Everything was out. There were no more lies, no more secrets… He was free. For the first time in his entire life, there was nothing hidden inside of him. It was all open and exposed and raw, and it terrified him, but at the same time, it was a huge relief.

He looked at the view and looked back at Briana. "I'm okay," he told her.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah. I feel good, even." He looked into her eyes. "I love you, Briana. Thank you for putting up with me."

"I'm no picnic either." She grinned at him. "Are you ready to go back down?"

"Yeah… I think I am."

"Come on. I've got you. I won't let you fall."

As Phil followed her down the rocks they'd climbed, he knew that was true in more ways than one.

 _ **CARRIE**_

She'd never been so nervous in her life. This was by far the hardest thing she'd ever had to do, but she knew she had to do it, and thanks to the best pep talk ever from Amber, she believed she could do it. Still, she was too afraid to do it alone.

"Stay by Aiden?" Carrie asked Luke and Evan. "It'll help if I can see you guys."

"No problem," Luke said.

"Of course," Evan added.

"Are you ready, Carrie?" Aiden asked.

"No," she said. "But let's do this anyway."

He nodded. "We're rolling in three… Two…" He raised one finger, then pointed to her so she knew they were recording.

"Hi," Carrie began lamely. "My name is Carrie Heyman." She said this without the usual flare. She wasn't in character. This was a genuine shoot, kayfabe be damned. "This is not easy for me, but unfortunately, it needs to be done. You all know me as the crazy girl with the sexiest entrance in the world. My entire gimmick revolves around being overly sexual and outrageous, and for a long time, it was pretty true to my real personality. I was Carrie Heyman, and because of my last name, the world owed me anything that I wanted." She sighed. "I no longer believe that. I really messed up and I hurt my friend… I drove a wedge between two people that may never be fixed, and instead of accepting it and trying to fix it, I sulked about the fact that my friends had turned on me. That's how I found myself in a dive bar in a seedy part of town. I was drinking and feeling sorry for myself, and I walked into the bathroom, and that's where my life changed forever."

She closed her eyes. She tried not to panic. This wasn't live. They could edit it if they needed to, but she didn't want to have to do this more than once. "A man jumped out of a stall and attacked me. I tried to defend myself, but I was very drunk, and quite honestly, I was weak from puking up everything I'd consumed in the last few days. I still fought. I'm not a victim. I've _never_ been a victim… But he was very strong, and he wasn't intoxicated, and he overpowered me. And that's when I, Carrie Heyman, the girl who never met a bad situation she couldn't talk her way out of, was sexually assaulted."

She couldn't believe she'd just said that on camera. Should she stop? Should she tell Aiden the whole thing was off?

Luke nodded at her and mouthed, _You've got this._ Carrie knew he was right. Hiding had never been her style, and she was done.

"It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me. I couldn't do much… The worst part was that he told me someone sent him after me… The same someone who's been coming after all of the new ECW roster members. This monster threw my whole 'Carrie Swallows' gimmick in my face… And I really, really hope that all of you can find it in your hearts to stop chanting that at me, because it sent me into a panic attack the one time I appeared in public since. If my brother Evan hadn't been there, I'd have stayed frozen in the ring for the rest of the night… Anyway, I finally escaped, but barely, and then I ran into Luke… Little Sandy… in the hallway. He saw the shape I was in and he immediately protected me. So while, yes, Luke beat the hell out of this monster, he also saved my life. And if I hadn't had him around after the fact… I don't think I'd be here today. He's been my rock, and he is _literally_ my hero." She looked at Luke, who was beaming at her now.

"I know some reporters are trying to spin this as a cover-up, but my records prove exactly what happened to me," Carrie continued. "As far as my dear friend Abby Styles, she came to help and ended up in the middle of everything, and the monster grabbed her leg, so she kicked him. The police arrested the two of them because they were trying to figure out what really went down, but no charges were filed. They didn't do anything wrong. They just tried to help me on the absolute worst night of my life." Carrie paused. "I was ashamed for a long time… I'm Carrie Heyman. Girls like me do _not_ get raped… But I did. It can happen to _anyone…_ You can call me a slut. I've called myself worse. You can say I had it coming because of my gimmick, or because I was stupid and drunk… But I didn't deserve that, and it's taken me a while to realize it. _No one_ deserves to go through that… And if anyone out there watching this has, and you're too afraid to tell someone because you think you'll be slut shamed and no one will believe you, I'm here to tell you that you _have_ to tell someone. Speak up. It's the only way that you'll stop being a victim. Be strong. Be a survivor. I'm trying to get there, too, one step at a time… Today… This is a _big_ step, but it's okay to start with the small ones."

She hadn't intended to speak to other survivors. She hadn't intended for this to be any sort of message other than one to tell the truth… But it felt right. And slowly, Carrie was learning to follow the instincts that benefited others instead of herself.

Carrie took a deep breath. "I think I'm done," she told Aiden.

He nodded and cut the camera. "That was beautiful, Carrie," he said. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," Carrie said honestly.

Luke ran over and wrapped her in a tight hug. Evan came over slowly and joined him. Aiden looked at her and opened up his arms. Carrie laughed and hugged him, too. Physical contact was becoming less frightening to her. Apparently, therapy was actually helping. She might not be okay with strangers getting too close, but these guys were her family. She trusted them, and it seemed her body finally did again, too.

"I'm really proud of you, Carrie," Evan said.

"Dad's going to be horrified. There are things Heymans don't discuss in public," Carrie said.

"No. Dad's going to be proud, too. Trust me." He hugged her again. Carrie hoped he was right.

 _ **LUKE**_

Even after Aiden posted the video and left and Evan left to see Sellie about how to handle things from a legal point of view, Luke stayed with Carrie. She'd called him her hero. That made him incredibly happy, and for some reason, with Carrie admitting the truth, Luke didn't feel as guilty anymore. She was right. He'd saved her life. The fact that he'd possibly taken a man's life would always haunt him, but if he focused on the fact that he'd been protecting Carrie, it was a little bit easier to handle.

 _The girl I've been crushing on since before I could walk just called me her hero in front of millions of people,_ Luke thought once again with a grin. He'd flirted shamelessly with Carrie for as long as he could remember, but he did that with everyone. Hell, he flirted with Kim and Briana, and they were like his big sisters. Carrie was closer in age to Luke, although she was still a couple of years older than him. He idolized and worshipped her from afar, seeing her in ways no one else seemed to. Carrie wasn't just the character she portrayed. Luke had always known there was more to her, but it had only started to come out for the rest of the world to see after the attack.

"I can't believe I actually did that," Carrie said.

"I can. You're Carrie Heyman. You don't do _anything_ small," Luke said. "And you did an amazing job. I know it was hard for you."

"It was easier with you and Evan looking back at me… I just focused on talking to the two of you."

"I think your video will help people."

"Really? My message seemed so after-school special…"

"You've always been this tough, in-your-face, untouchable sex Goddess, and for you to tell the world that even _you_ went through that will make other people realize it can happen to anyone, and it doesn't make them weak."

"Thanks, Luke." She curled up against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You really _are_ my hero. I don't know what I'd have done without you after everything."

"I love you, Carrie. You know I'll always be here for you."

"I love you, too, Lukey… You're the best."

 _Dude, you are_ so _friend-zoned for life,_ Luke thought. He was okay with that, though. He'd always known Carrie was unattainable. It didn't bother him. He was happy to _bask in her glory_ like she was Keith Lee. He grinned at his own joke.

"What are you smiling about?" Carrie asked him.

"Nothing important," he said.

"It's good to see you happy, Luke. It makes me believe the world doesn't suck when you smile."

He smiled wider. "I'll just have to keep smiling then." He allowed Carrie to lean on him again and started petting her automatically. Soon, Carrie passed out on him. He didn't mind. It was kind of nice to know she was that comfortable around him, and he liked how it felt that have her there. If their relationship never progressed beyond this very close friendship, that was good enough for him.

 _ **MARKIE**_

She was wandering around aimlessly even though it was the middle of the night. It might not be smart, but Markie needed to clear her head, and she could handle herself pretty well if she needed to.

She spotted an unexpected and familiar face wandering around, too. She almost turned around, but then she realized he looked extremely upset. He hadn't seen her yet, and he was crying.

 _So what?_ She thought. _He's a dick. Let him cry._ She couldn't turn away, though. She cursed and walked toward him.

"Hey…" She said awkwardly. "Are you okay?"

Craig jumped at the sound of her voice. "Markie?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Walking. You?"

"Same."

"Right. So what's with the water works?"

Craig wiped the tears off of his cheek subconsciously. "Allergies," he said quickly.

"Craig… You don't _have_ allergies," she reminded him.

"I'm allergic to my own stupidity."

"Then you're doomed."

"Yeah, I guess I am. I should go… Wait, are you alone?"

"No. Right now, I'm with you."

"Markie… I…"

"You're sorry. I know. I've heard it. I'm sick of hearing it. But you're also crying, and considering you used to be the one person who'd take care of me when I was a blubbering mess, I figured I owed you the courtesy of at least asking you why."

"This place is dangerous at night. You shouldn't be alone."

"Says the guy who was walking around alone."

"Fair enough. But seriously… Can I walk you back?"

She shrugged. "I can't stop you." She started to walk. Craig followed her.

It was awkwardly silent for a bit before Markie asked again, "What's wrong, Craig?"

"I miss you," Craig replied lamely.

"I wish you'd thought about that before you turned into a dick."

"So do I." He sighed. "It's just… I feel like… Never mind."

"No, Craig. You started. You've been begging me to let you talk to me for ages. So talk. Quickly."

To her surprise, he began rambling, speaking rapidly like he didn't think he'd have the courage to say it for long. "Everything hurts, Markie. It hurts to _breathe_ most of the time… I don't even want to wake up most days… It's getting harder to get out of bed… And I'm alone. I'm _totally_ alone."

She paused. He wasn't making this up. She could tell he really felt that awful. "Craig… You should talk to someone."

"I'm trying to."

"No. Not me. A professional."

"It's not that serious. I'm okay."

"You're not. You've never walked around in the middle of the night crying your eyes out. You've never told me it hurt to breathe before… You're not okay. You're in a really bad place." She hated to admit it, but what he'd just said terrified her.

"I didn't want to put that on you. I don't deserve for you to care."

"You're right. You don't. And I'm still mad at you, Craig… But I care. I'll _always_ care. That's just who I am." She yawned. She hadn't had caffeine in hours. That was blasphemy.

Craig automatically reached into his backpack and pulled out a can of coke. Markie stared at him. "Seriously?" She asked.

"Old habits. I never unpacked them… Just in case," Craig replied.

She wanted to hate him, but he'd offered her caffeine… She hated him slightly less. Besides, he was hurting, and as angry as she was at him, she hated to see him in that kind of pain.

"Thanks," she said. She downed the coke in seconds. Craig pulled out another that she could drink slower.

They walked together in a silence that was still awkward, but it wasn't as bad now. When they reached her door, Markie looked at him. "I'm serious, Craig. Talk to a professional. Please. I don't want you to end up in that dark place for too long."

"I deserve to be here," Craig replied. "I really screwed everything up."

"You did. I don't deny that… But just because I'm pissed at you, that doesn't mean I don't want you to be okay."

He looked at her with such vulnerability in his eyes that Markie nearly told him it was all okay and she forgave him, but she knew she couldn't just let go of what had happened. Craig needed to learn from it or he could do it again, and she couldn't survive that sort of pain twice.

"I should go," Craig said awkwardly.

"Yeah… Don't be stupid. Get home safe," Markie said.

He nodded and walked away. It wasn't a grand happy reunion, and they hadn't actually made up, but Markie felt like maybe they could eventually. This was the longest conversation they'd had since she'd blown up on him at the party.

Suddenly, she didn't want to be alone. She dialed the first number that popped into her head. Vinny answered and before he could even say hello, she blurted out, "Can you come over? With bad movies?"

"Of course I can," Vinny replied. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

"I'm on my way."

Markie tried to relax, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't have let Craig walk away. What if he didn't talk to someone? What if he just kept slipping further into depression until he disappeared forever?

"He wouldn't do that," she told herself aloud. "He wouldn't leave you… He wouldn't leave Artie, or his dad… He'll be fine." Still, she was worried. Maybe she should call Devon and tell him Craig needed help. She wasn't sure why she cared so much, but she did. No matter how much she wanted to hate him, he was still Craig. She had to know he was alright.

With a sigh, Markie dialed Devon. "What's up, sweetheart?" He answered.

"Devon… I'm… I'm worried about Craig," Markie admitted.

"Why? What happened? Is he alright?"

"I don't think that he is. He seemed really upset tonight when I ran into him… Upset enough that I actually tried talking to him."

"Well, given circumstances, that's concerning."

"I just think he needs to talk to someone… Like a professional… And I don't think he'll do it on his own. I can't babysit him. Things are too screwed up between us… But I thought you could get him some help."

Devon was silent for a moment. "I'll talk to him," he promised. "Whatever's going on with him, I'll make sure he's alright."

"Good." Shortly after that, Markie hung up. She hoped that she'd done the right thing. As far as she could tell, calling in Craig's father was her only good option.

When Vinny arrived, she eagerly lost herself in bad movies and good conversation and tried not to think about Craig, but in the back of her mind, she was still worried. She forced herself to ignore that concern and focus on Vinny, who never made her feel like shit.


End file.
